Written questions by Franklin.

Communities and Local Government, when he briefed leaders of upper-tier local authorities on the Government’s decision to postpone mayoral elections in Greater Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, Hampshire and the Solent and Sussex and Brighton.

I spoke to leaders in Greater Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, Hampshire and the Solent and Sussex and Brighton following the announcement of funding and next steps for the devolution agreements that are being developed through the Devolution Priority Programme. I have engaged closely with them since the announcement, jointly discussing the benefits devolution will bring to these areas.

Communities and Local Government, whether he will commit to laying before the House of Commons the Structural Change Order for local government reorganisation in Surrey.

I am happy to repeat the commitment from the Written Ministerial Statement made on 28 October (HCWS998) that we will bring to the House, for approval, a Structural Changes Order to implement the proposal for two new unitary councils – East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the cost to councils in the mayoral areas of Greater Essex, Norfolk & Suffolk, Hampshire & the Solent, and Sussex & Brighton for election preparations which have now been cancelled; and if he will reimburse these costs in full.

We remain committed to the long-term funding offer to all Devolution Priority Programme areas announced on 4 December. We will provide £1 million mayoral capacity funding for all areas following the laying of the secondary legislation, and a minimum of £3 million over the following three financial years. Greater Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, Hampshire and the Solent and Sussex and Brighton will receive a third of their annual investment funds in both 2026 and 2027, and receive their full annual allocations thereafter.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing the same protections to historic villages as is provided to historic towns in the National Planning Policy Framework; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect of grey belt designation on the distinct identity of village communities, like those in Guildford constituency.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question 39868 on 26 March 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to introduce requirements for the installation of swift bricks in new housing developments.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 62367 on 2 July 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to review the application of the long-term empty homes council tax premium in cases where (a) properties are awaiting sale, (b) the owner is serving in the armed forces and required to live on base and (c) properties are empty due to other circumstances outside the owner’s control.

It is for councils to decide whether to charge the premium in their area, taking account of local circumstances. The Department has introduced a number of exceptions to the empty homes premium which came into effect from April 2025. These include exceptions for up to a year for dwellings actively marketed for sale or let and for dwellings which is or would be the sole or main residence of a member of the armed services, who has been provided with a dwelling as a result of such service. In addition to mandatory exceptions councils have the discretionary power to set their own local exceptions to premiums or offer discounts. The government has published guidance on the implementation of premiums and exceptions and is available here. The government remains committed to keeping all taxes and elements of the local government finance system under review and will consider options for reform where there is clear evidence that change would deliver better outcomes for residents and councils alike.

Communities and Local Government, if he will introduce a minimum 4 per cent annual uplift in core spending power for local authorities with Adults and Children’s Services responsibilities.

As set out in the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation, this Government will use the first multi-year Settlement in a decade to redirect around £2 billion of existing funding to the places and communities that need it most. We expect the vast majority of councils with social care responsibilities will see their Core Spending Power increase in real terms over the multi-year Settlement, with most councils seeing it increase in cash terms. We will publish the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year, which will inform local authorities of their provisional multi-year allocations.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the accuracy of financial viability assessments used in the planning process.

The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. As part of this commitment, we are reviewing Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) on viability, and expect to provide a further update by the end of spring. It is already the case, as set out in the viability PPG, that any viability assessment should be prepared with professional integrity by a suitably qualified practitioner and be presented in accordance with the guidance. The inputs and findings of any viability assessment should be set out in a way that aids clear interpretation and interrogation by decision makers. Reports and findings should clearly state what assumptions have been made about costs and values (including gross development value, benchmark land value including the landowner premium, developer’s return and costs). Any viability assessment should be prepared on the basis that it will be made publicly available other than in exceptional circumstances.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities to bring forward brownfield land for housing development in areas where flooding presents a significant barrier to delivery.

The National Planning Policy Framework expects proposals for homes and other identified needs to be approved where they would use suitable brownfield land, unless substantial harm would be caused. At the same time, the Framework recognises the importance of minimising the risk of flooding, and so it steers development away from areas of relatively high flood risk, while recognising that some land where significant flood risk exists will be unsuitable for housing. Where development is, exceptionally, found to be justified in areas at risk of flooding, the Framework requires that it be appropriately flood resistant and resilient, and safe for its lifetime. This may apply to some brownfield land but would need to be considered on a site-by-site basis taking into consideration information on flood risk and opportunities for mitigation and ensuring safety.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of barring non-compliant developers from being awarded public sector contracts until cladding issues from past projects are resolved.

Major developers have already signed a Developer Remediation Contract with government, under which they are obligated to fix or pay to fix the buildings for which they are responsible. Developers who fail to comply with their contractual obligations face significant consequences, including in many cases prohibitions that would be imposed on the developer if it fails to comply with the requirements of the statutory Responsible Actors Scheme. Those prohibitions would prevent a developer from carrying out major development and from gaining building control sign-off in England, subject to limited exceptions.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that rental prices remain affordable; and whether she has considered mechanisms to stabilise rents.

Boosting the supply of homes of all tenures must be at the heart of any strategy to improve housing affordability which is why the government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament. The Renters’ Rights Bill will empower private rented sector tenants to challenge unreasonable within-tenancy rent increases. The government has been clear it does not support the introduction of rent controls, including rent stabilisation measures. We believe they could make life more difficult for private renters, both in terms of incentivising landlords to increase rents routinely up to a cap where they might otherwise not have done, and in pushing many landlords out of the market, thereby making it even harder for renters to find a home they can afford.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the debate following her oral statement of 5 February 2025 on English Devolution and Local Government, Official Report, column 780, if she will meet the hon. Members for constituencies in Surrey to discuss the potential impact of council debt in Surrey on her proposals for local government reorganisation before 21 March 2025.

It is for Surrey councils to develop a proposal or proposals in line with the criteria and guidance set out in the invitation. This should include for Surrey, as an area covering a council in Best Value intervention, demonstrating how reorganisation may contribute to putting local government in the area as a whole on a firmer footing and what area-specific arrangements may be necessary to make new structures viable. The invitation is also clear that councils should engage locally and that we also expect and encourage local leaders to engage their Members of Parliament, on any proposals being developed.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support cross-community inter-faith work in Surrey.

Ministers have been meeting a wide range of faith and belief leaders, along with interfaith practitioners, to hear more about the vital work undertaken in communities to help foster good relations.This department was pleased to support Inter Faith Week in November, and we continue to fund a number of partners to deliver cohesion programmes in local communities which help to contribute to positive interfaith relations.

Communities and Local Government, when her Department plans to make a decision on the planning application for a solar facility at the University of Surrey.

The application in question is currently being considered by Guildford Borough Council.Following requests to call in the application, a holding Direction restricting the grant of permission was issued by MHCLG, to allow those requests to be considered.A decision on whether to call in the application will be made in due course.The Hon Member should note that the issuing of a holding Direction should not be taken as an indication as to whether an application will be called in or not.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of lowering the voting age to 16.

As per the manifesto, the Government is committed to act during this Parliament to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all elections, strengthening our democracy, empowering young people to participate and building an informed and empowered electorate.