Written questions by Tugendhat.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the impact of the draft National Planning Policy Framework for rail capacity on a) the Southeastern mainline, b) the Maidstone East line, c) the Uckfield line, and d) the Chatham mainline.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, set out a number of proposals to support development in sustainable locations, including a “default yes” for suitable proposals that develop land around rail stations within existing settlements, and around ‘well-connected’ train stations outside settlements, including on Green Belt land.We have considered how the proposed draft policies could affect existing rail capacity and we will continue to work closely with the Department of Transport and with rail operators, including Network Rail, to address any issues should they arise.We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23337 on Local Government: Debts, what will happen to existing Council debt following local government reorganisation where a local authority is carrying debt but is not subject to either an (a) best value notice and (b) exceptional financial support framework.

It is the responsibility of councils to manage their budgets, and it is standard for councils to borrow and to hold debt, which they will do in the normal course of business. Local government reorganisation does not change this.

Communities and Local Government, what criteria she plans to use to determine which local authorities are selected for the Devolution Priority Programme.

The Government is seeking to provide a fast track to mayoral devolution by May 2026 for areas ready to come together under sensible geographies which meet the criteria set out in the White Paper.

Communities and Local Government, what will happen to existing Council debt following local government reorganisation.

It is the responsibility of councils to manage their budgets, and it is standard for councils to borrow and to hold debt, which they will do in the normal course of business. Local government reorganisation does not change this. The government has a framework to support councils in financial difficulty. Previous Secretaries of State used statutory powers to intervene in a small number of councils failing their best value duty partly associated with high levels of unsustainable debt. We will continue to work with best value commissioners in these councils to support the councils’ financial recovery.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Renters' Rights Bill on the ability of Offices of the Police and Crime Commissioner to provide accommodation for police officers.

The government will continue to engage with stakeholders, including representatives of police forces and Police and Crime Commissioners, to ensure that the provisions of Renters’ Rights Bill operate effectively.