Topical Questions
Monday, 2 November 2026
Contributions
Claire Young (Thornbury and Yate) (LD)Liberal Democrat
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Angela Rayner)Labour
There was nothing duff in the Budget last week. It delivers a major boost to council housing with an additional £1.5 billion for the social and affordable homes programme. This investment will take the total funding for the programme to more than £40 billion over 10 years.
The Housing Minister promised me in January that we would see protection from fleecehold exploitation in this Parliament. The Government are running out of time. When can my constituents in freeholds expect unfair service charges to be properly regulated?
I am hoping for an early Christmas present for the hon. Lady when we set out our leasehold Bill, and hopefully by the end of this Parliament we will be able, using secondary legislation, to get things through.
Mr Toby Perkins (Chesterfield) (Lab)Labour
T2. In Chesterfield, we have already made good progress on building council homes; we have plans for 89 new homes over the next three years. However, the council tells me that it needs access to lower-cost, longer-term borrowing. Can my right hon. Friend tell me any ways that the Government can help the council to access lower-cost, longer-term borrowing?
The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)Labour
In the Budget, the Chancellor extended the preferential Public Works Loan Board rates for a further year until 2027-28. We will continue to keep under review what more we can do to help councils once again build at scale.
Mr SpeakerSpeaker
I welcome the shadow Secretary of State to her place.
Katie Lam (Weald of Kent) (Con)Conservative
Last month, it was reported that money from the Department’s community recovery fund had been funnelled to explicitly partisan groups, and had been used to train activists in how to influence the public to make them pro-migration and against the Conservative party, which was named in training materials. Can the Secretary of State please explain how on earth taxpayer money was spent on this kind of partisan political activity?
I am not aware of the Government spending money on that type of partisan material, but I am happy for the hon. Lady to send it to me. I think she might have written to me about this recently, and I will be happy to respond.
In a statement issued by the Department last month, we were told that this money, which has been spent on partisan political campaigning, can be recovered if it has been used improperly—but that is not the same as doing it. Will the Secretary of State confirm that she will investigate and recoup every penny of taxpayer money funnelled to those partisan groups, either directly or by instructing councils?
Yes.
Lloyd Hatton (South Dorset) (Lab)Labour
T6. The Riveira hotel is an iconic building overlooking Weymouth, but its current Saudi Arabia-based owners have let it fall into woeful disrepair. What was once a thriving hotel is now turning into an eyesore. While Dorset council is doing its utmost to convene a reasonable sale, we can and must do more. Will the Minister meet with us to explore every option, including compulsory purchase as a backstop, to bring this hotel back into local hands?
Local authorities have powers to take action where a designated heritage asset has deteriorated to the extent that its preservation may be at risk. These powers include carrying out urgent works to preserve a listed building, requiring an owner to carry out work and, if appropriate, compulsory purchase. I will be more than happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss those powers further.
John Cooper (Dumfries and Galloway) (Con)Conservative
T3. This Government are facilitating a property grab by allowing councils to seize properties that have been left vacant for as little as six months. Rather than stealing properties, would not the Secretary of State be better using the powers of state to cut regulation, cut taxes and get more houses built?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Jim McMahon)Labour (Co-op)
The fact is that there is not a community, high street or town centre in any part of the country that is not blighted by a building that stubbornly will not be brought back into use. It is right that if owners are not willing to take action, the Government will do.
Josh Newbury (Cannock Chase) (Lab)Labour
T8. This summer’s wildfires showed us how incredible but stretched our firefighters are. Their ability to prepare for and confront fires and floods will match the ferocity of what they face only if we in this House do our part. Following the Budget and ahead of the spending review, will the Department make strong representations to the Treasury so that wildfire risk can be taken into account when fire and rescue budgets are set?
The Minister for Homelessness, Democracy, Communities and Faith (Florence Eshalomi)Labour (Co-op)
I agree with my hon. Friend that our firefighters worked tirelessly to protect lives, homes and critical infrastructure during the wildfires this summer, and they should have the equipment to respond to that risk. That is why at the wildfire summit last month the Government announced £45 million of investment for wildfire-specific personal protective equipment for firefighters in England and UK-wide aerial capability. We will continue to engage with the Treasury post-Budget and ahead of the spending review to ensure that we are working towards meeting the needs of fire and rescue services.
Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)Liberal Democrat
T4. Westmorland and Furness council is England’s most rural unitary authority, but the Government’s new formula has punished us for being rural with a crushing 31% cut in our funding, putting care homes, help for the homeless and support for schools at risk. Does the Secretary of State think that is fair? Will she revisit this travesty urgently and provide emergency support?
The hon. Member has raised that issue a number of times, and the answer is the same as before. The fair funding review, for the first time, took into account the assessed need in each area, the resource available to each council to meet that need, and where the Government had to act as an equaliser in the system. That is what we have done. If there are examples of where it is not quite working and its application is not as it should be, I am happy to receive representations, and I would be happy to meet him.
Dr Lauren Sullivan (Gravesham) (Lab)Labour
My constituent, Mr Welch, and his sister have been left completely trapped by the death of their mother last year. Despite slashing the price of her assisted living flat from £200,000 to £60,000, the flat remains unsellable because the market has collapsed, and the £1,300 a month service charge risks wiping out the estate. Will the Minister urgently review the guidance and support available to bereaved executors in this position, and meet me to discuss the recourse available to such families?
I am really sorry to hear about the situation that Mr Welch and his sister find themselves in following the death of their mother last year. Our reforms to the leasehold system will make service charges more transparent and easier to challenge. I assure my hon. Friend that work is under way in the Department to better understand the market around poor resale values. I would be happy to meet her to discuss that.
Mike Martin (Tunbridge Wells) (LD)Liberal Democrat
T5. Recently, I visited Standing Joint Command in Aldershot, which is responsible for co-ordinating military support to the civil power, working through local resilience forums and councils. What conversations has the Secretary of State had with the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Defence to ensure that devolution and local government reorganisation strengthen the country’s resilience rather than weaken it?
The Department will support local councils going through local government reorganisation to ensure that those partnerships are maintained. The Local Government Association has a good toolkit available for councils to help them ensure that the transition is managed in the way that he describes.
Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside) (Lab)Labour
For decades, Liverpool has lived with the consequences of Thatcher’s sell-off of council housing and the large-scale stock transfer of properties leaving too many families without secure and genuinely affordable homes. Mayor Steve Rotheram’s North Docks mayoral development corporation set out a bold vision, with strong public backing. Will the Minister back the work of the MDC to support large-scale council house building in order to reverse the legacy of the past and tackle the housing crisis?
I know that the mayor is consulting on that mayoral development corporation, so I will not prejudice that consultation by giving my view on it. In general, however, the Government absolutely support the use of mayoral development corporations and locally led development corporations as a means to masterplan, assemble land and regenerate areas.
Dr Kieran Mullan (Bexhill and Battle) (Con)Conservative
T7. In Bexhill and across the country, homeowners are being fleeced out of thousands of pounds by a company called Asset Invest Ltd, which bought titles with restrictive covenants affecting thousands of homes for just £1. This exploitative practice has to stop. Will the Minister agree to meet me and a cross-party group of MPs who want to see the new leasehold Bill bring forward better protections for homeowners in that terrible situation?
The hon. Gentleman has been campaigning on this issue for a long time. I recognise his concerns and am more than happy to meet him. He should have had that confirmation already, but I give it to him now on the Floor of the House.
Naushabah Khan (Gillingham and Rainham) (Lab)Labour
Hundreds of people are being placed in my constituency by London councils. They are being moved away from their support networks through out-of-borough placements and without proper notification. Often these are vulnerable families with high needs, which then have to be met by overstretched services at Medway council. Will the Minister meet me to discuss how we can improve this system and support the authorities that are dealing with the bulk of out-of-borough placements?
Many hon. Members have raised the issue of local authorities using their temporary accommodation discharge narrative, and I am happy to meet my hon. Friend and other Members to discuss this further.
Paul Holmes (Hamble Valley) (Con)Conservative
Since I last asked the Minister about the Liberal Democrats’ £620 million-worth of debt at Eastleigh borough council, it has got bigger, the external auditors have said that there have been financial misstatements and a lack of management financially, and the Government have now given it £150 million for social housing. What will it take for this Minister to come down on Eastleigh borough council and get that debt down?
We have an established best value regime that assesses all councils objectively, based on evidence, and of course we take the audit position very seriously. I will confirm in writing exactly where we are up to with that local authority, but to be clear, just because the status of the local authority is as the hon. Gentleman describes, that does not mean that the community it serves should be denied funding.
Dr Marie Tidball (Penistone and Stocksbridge) (Lab)Labour
For over a year, I have argued for changes to Sheffield’s local plan, with a fairer distribution of green-belt sites across the authority, greater use of brownfield sites, high streets and retail spaces, densification on transport routes, a better application of the Government’s golden rules, and strengthened powers to utilise long-term empty properties to ease the pressure on Grenoside, Chapeltown and Ecclesfield. Consequently, I am calling for a pause in the local plan process, especially in the light of new evidence demonstrating that all the green-belt parcels in my constituency are now assessed as containing our best agricultural land, including Town End farm. Will the Minister meet me and Sheffield colleagues to discuss the local plan, and to ensure that Sheffield builds more homes, especially the social and affordable homes that we need?
Due to my quasi-judicial role in the planning system, I cannot comment on the detail of the emerging plan, and I am afraid I cannot meet my hon. Friend to discuss it. The plan, the sites included in it and the proposed main modifications have been subject to several rounds of consultations throughout the examination process. It is for the independent inspectors to consider the responses to the consultations and set out next steps.
Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC)Plaid Cymru
Following this summer’s wildfires, we saw that the devolution of fire policy was no barrier to mutual aid co-operation between the UK Government and the Welsh Government. Can the Minister tell me how any additional air firefighting capability will be allocated fairly across the nations of the United Kingdom?
I commend the fire services across Wales, England and Scotland, given the challenges they faced. I know that aerial support was needed in Wales, and we looked at that as part of the wildfire summit that we held. We will continue to work with them and that aerial support will be available across the UK so that people can use it when they need it.
James Asser (West Ham and Beckton) (Lab)Labour
A week ago, three blocks of flats in Canning Town underwent emergency evacuation after serious structural flaws were found. A further two blocks have subsequently been evacuated. With over 300 flats now evacuated, and no timeline or indication of when this will be resolved or when residents can return, this is causing a huge amount of distress and serious financial worry. Will my hon. Friends take whatever action they can to help resolve this appalling situation, with a particular eye on support for the families and businesses who have been displaced?
I recognise how distressing this situation will be for the many residents who have had to leave their homes, with the evacuation and the fear that the buildings might collapse. The buildings have been evacuated following defects identified in transverse slabs. My officials are supporting the London borough of Newham and the right-to-manage companies, and we are engaging with the developer, Galliard, and the warranty providers to ensure that they respond to this situation as swiftly as possible.
Sir Julian Lewis (New Forest East) (Con)Conservative
How does the abolition of a rural district council such as New Forest, and its absorption into a unitary authority dominated by an urban centre such as Southampton, increase devolution and local democracy?
Obviously, we take decisions on local reorganisation on a county-by-county basis. When we are in a position to issue a “minded to” notice, we explain at length how we will balance the competing interests to get the right balance, but I accept the right hon. Gentleman’s point. The identity of place matters, and places that are urban have quite a different character and economy from those that are rural. By and large, I think we try to strike that balance well in the decisions that are taken.
Samantha Niblett (South Derbyshire) (Lab)Labour
Earlier this year, a young puppy was found in South Derbyshire, and its suspected mother was discovered in squalid conditions on a farm in Derbyshire Dales, alongside numerous other dogs, some of which were dead. The conditions were so horrific that one environmental officer was physically sick. This incident has stayed with and haunted me and my hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (John Whitby), particularly given that the environmental team officers, after putting animal welfare first, were subsequently suspended and dismissed. Will the Minister meet us to discuss how we can empower local authorities to prioritise animal welfare without fear of jurisdictional disputes, conflicting local policies or the risk of prosecution failure?
My hon. Friend makes an important point about the widely varied roles of local government and how connected local government is to communities. Many local authorities take pride in reaching the gold standard from animal welfare charities. I am happy to take up her point and perhaps respond in writing.
Kit Malthouse (North West Hampshire) (Con)Conservative
As the Housing and Planning Minister knows, a planning inspector has made some outrageous decisions regarding the national landscape in my constituency over the past few months. Will he therefore please confirm from the Dispatch Box, for the benefit of all the planning inspectors out there, that his intention is to strengthen protections for our national landscapes in the latest edition of the national planning policy framework?
What I will do for the right hon. Gentleman is go away and review whether further guidance for the Planning Inspectorate in this particular area would be helpful.
Sarah Smith (Hyndburn) (Lab)Labour
Hyndburn has incredibly high levels of houses in multiple occupation. That is driving up rents, taking family homes off the market and increasing the number of vulnerable people moving to our community. How are the Government acting to enable councils such as Hyndburn borough council to reduce HMOs in their areas?
My hon. Friend may have heard my answer to a previous question in which I set out how we have strengthened the national planning policy framework in this area. I am more than happy to discuss with her particular policy areas where her council may think more powers are required.
Adrian Ramsay (Waveney Valley) (Green)Green Party
Suffolk county council is proposing significant cuts to its healthy child services. That is deeply worrying to new parents such as Chloe, who became a mother at 18 and, without the help of family, relied on the young parent pathway to develop the skills and knowledge to raise her baby boy. What assessment has the Department made of the positive impact of healthy child services, and will the Minister intervene to protect these vital services?
The Government do not intervene in local authorities’ individual budget-setting decisions. We also recognise that local authorities are doing their best to try to wrestle competing interests in areas in which there is huge demand, such as adult and children’s social care, special educational needs and disabilities, and temporary accommodation. However, the hon. Gentleman rightly points out the success of that programme, and I hope that all councils look to ensure that the community impact of budget decisions is being adequately managed.
Callum Anderson (Buckingham and Bletchley) (Lab)Labour
Does the Minister share my disappointment that, because of political game playing by the leader of Central Bedfordshire council, Milton Keynes and Bedfordshire will have to wait to enjoy the benefits of devolution? Will she set out how this Government will work to ensure that constituencies such as mine will not miss out on the investment and opportunities that it promises?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Sally Jameson)Labour (Co-op)
The Government are determined to ensure that we have strategic authorities everywhere by the end of 2028, and I and other Ministers in the Department will work with my hon. Friend and council leaders from across the region to ensure that they also get a strategic authority in that time.
Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) (Con)Conservative
West Surrey unitary authority wrote to the Secretary of State asking her to change the name of that authority to West Surrey and South Middlesex—a move that I thoroughly support. The local government Minister wrote back to them and said, “It’s nothing to do with me; just change your name yourself.” Will the Minister confirm what his spokesman said to the BBC, which was that, “West Surrey Council has the power to change its own name to include Middlesex if it chooses to do so, and we’ve set this out in a letter to them”?
As explained in the letter, it is not for the Secretary of State to determine the names of local authorities; local authorities have the legal right and ability to change them themselves. My advice is to crack on with it.
Perran Moon (Camborne and Redruth) (Ind)Independent
Meur ras, Mr Speaker. The Budget brought welcome news for Cornwall last week by recognising our national minority status through a Cornwall-only single foundation strategic status without a mayor. I understand the principle of a mayoral combined authority with a single figurehead sitting above several authorities, but does the Minister agree that it would be a pointless waste of taxpayers’ money to establish a mayor in parallel with one single strategic authority?
We had an excellent meeting with Cornwall leaders and MPs in No. 10 North not long before that decision was taken. I thank my hon. Friend for his contribution to that, and I understand the distinct status that Cornwall has. We will continue to work with him to ensure that Cornwall can make the most of its foundation strategic authority in the future.
Ayoub Khan (Birmingham Perry Barr) (Ind)Independent
Birmingham city council is now officially out of bankruptcy, so will the Government remove the Government-appointed commissioners, who are costing taxpayers millions of pounds—money that could be better used elsewhere?
The involvement of commissioners in any local authority, or envoys for that matter, is a last resort after all else has failed, so no Government take such an intervention lightly. We also want to ensure that there is an exit for intervention. We have proven, in Liverpool and other places, that where the council shows sustained improvement, we are happy to review that. Although Birmingham has taken significant steps at improvement, there are still steps yet to take.
Sean Woodcock (Banbury) (Lab)Labour
I welcome the news last week that local government reorganisation will finally take place in Oxfordshire and that the Thames valley will have devolution. Can the Minister confirm that it is the Government’s intention that these new authorities will all be in place by the end of this Parliament?
It is our intention that all the local government reorganisation areas will have an election in 2028 and a vesting day in April 2029.
Marie Goldman (Chelmsford) (LD)Liberal Democrat
The issue of restrictive covenants, raised so ably by the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Dr Mullan), is also affecting my constituents, some of whom have been extorted out of tens of thousands of pounds. Will the Government give any comfort to the residents who are campaigning so hard on this that the commonhold and leasehold reform Bill will contain provisions to stop this awful practice?
As the hon. Member may be aware, we are looking through that legislation to introduce caps on administration and permission fees. That may help some of her affected residents, but I would be grateful if she could write to me and set out in more detail how this issue is affecting her constituents.
Euan Stainbank (Falkirk) (Lab)Labour
For the purposes of the new planning powers and the rates relief exemptions announced in the Budget last week, what does my hon. Friend’s Department define as a vape shop?
Well, I would hope that the clue is in the name—a shop that primarily sells vapes.
Danny Kruger (East Wiltshire) (Reform)Reform UK
Swindon and Wiltshire councils are building a lot of new housing, which is excellent, but the Government have now abolished an essential safeguard for communities against inappropriate planning, which is the power of councillors to call in applications. What steps are the Government taking to review that particular measure, and will they reconsider if it turns out that it is not working?
That particular reform was commenced only on Saturday. We have already committed to review it after a two-year period, and that is what we will do.
Jayne Kirkham (Truro and Falmouth) (Lab/Co-op)Labour (Co-op)
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is bringing out a short-term let registration scheme in March. Unfortunately, due to data protection rules, it cannot be more of a licensing scheme, so owners of properties will not be obliged to file liability insurance or fire safety documents. DCMS tells me that MHCLG is the Department that could set up such a licensing scheme. Is that something the Minister will consider?
We are bringing forward legislation for the overnight visitor levy, and an essential part of that is to ensure that all short-term lets are on the register and that we know who should pay that taxation in areas where the mayoral or foundation authority agrees to it. We are in conversation with DCMS about what implementation of the register needs to look like.
Ian Roome (North Devon) (LD)Liberal Democrat
Now that the Government have withdrawn plans for local government reorganisation in Devon, the law still requires councils such as North Devon to change from a committee system to a cabinet system by June 2027. Six months have been lost and the Secretary of State can grant only a year’s extension. Can the Minister tell us whether councils such as North Devon will be given extra time or extra funding to help make that change?
We have agreed, as part of the transitional arrangements, that the committee system will be allowed to continue for an extra year in the way that my hon. Friend describes.
Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)Labour (Co-op)
I welcome the announcement by the Chancellor last week on supporting our high streets, which is welcome. What conversations has the Minister had with Cabinet colleagues about the future of Poundland? We have two shops and one depot in Harlow, so this is hugely important for my constituency.
All of us are concerned about the announcement for Poundland and its 30,000 staff members. These are people in every one of our communities. I do not think there is a high street in the country that does not feature a Poundland. As confirmed this morning, the Government are in conversation with Poundland to ensure that it is supported where it can be, but I absolutely understand the community impact that my hon. Friend describes.
Ben Maguire (North Cornwall) (LD)Liberal Democrat
The Government have now baked the £20 million-a-year second homes council tax premium into their core funding; but business rates loopholes, which were increased in the recent Budget, make those payments easily avoidable, so that revenue cannot be relied on consistently. Will the Minister meet the six Cornish MPs to ensure that Cornwall benefits from the second home council tax premium?
There is definitely a pattern, particularly among short-term lets, of transferring to business rates to avoid paying council tax; that is why we need the short-term lets register that Members have spoken about today. I would be happy to meet Cornish MPs as a group to talk this through further.
Robert Jenrick (Newark) (Reform)Reform UK
Summer was a difficult time for Nottinghamshire fire service; it battled with wildfires and a lot of heat-related incidents. The firemen and women had to wear protective equipment and clothing in which it was simply unbearable to work in that type of heat. I know that the Secretary of State has made some funding available for this, but will she work to ensure that by next summer, if we have the same hot weather and wildfires, brave firemen and women will have the clothing and protective equipment that they need to work in those conditions?
I commend all those who fought wildfires over the summer, and the right hon. Gentleman is right to recognise that the personal protective equipment that firefighters need is different in those circumstances. That is why we have put in £45 million extra for equipment, on top of the £97 million. We are working to ensure that our firefighters have the equipment that they need, and of course we announced aerial support, too.
Tessa Munt (Wells and Mendip Hills) (LD)Liberal Democrat
Councils spend far more on enforcing against a breach of planning controls than the offender is ever fined—and even then, that money goes to the Treasury. When it is cheaper to break rules than follow them, we lose any sense of deterrence, and there is a perception that breaches have few consequences. Will the Minister look again at the amount of fines, and at whether councils could receive the proceeds of fines, so that they can recover their costs?
Would the hon. Lady write to me with some further details, to illustrate the precise problem she is trying to get at?
Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) (LD)Liberal Democrat
Two brave Eastbourne families are fighting for improved regulation of supported accommodation, after their respective relatives were found dead in the accommodation that was meant to be supporting them. Will the Minister meet them, and me, to discuss how we can better protect vulnerable people in supported accommodation?
I am devastated to hear the hon. Gentleman’s description of what happened to his constituents, and I will ensure that he gets a meeting with a Minister.
Source: UK Parliament Hansard API. Debate ID: 5429443.