This report reaffirms our finding that disparities in incomes are significant and persistent, both within and between different parts of the UK. These findings reinforce the scale of the challenge we face, but also the vital need for levelling up. The living standards mission sets out government's ambition to narrow the gap in living standards between different areas of the country.

The report's use of the ONS's Gross Disposable Household Income (one of the supporting metrics for the living standards mission) as a data source adds considerable nuance and detail that provides important insights for levelling up and avenues for future research. This analysis also shows the value of improving subnational data to deepen our understanding of the UK's disparities and how they can be addressed. The Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities is continuing to work with the ONS and others to improve our subnational data, and will continue to engage with experts like the Resolution Foundation to build the evidence base that we need to deliver levelling up.

Our Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will enshrine in law our commitment to report on spatial disparities within the UK. To do this, we will continue to develop and monitor the suite of metrics we outlined within the Technical Annex of the Levelling Up White Paper, which will enable us to evaluate progress and better understand what works to improve outcomes across different places.

The estimated cost of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre has been produced in line with Green Book guidance. The publication of further information about costs will be addressed when costs are no longer commercially sensitive.

England will receive £1.5 billion, Scotland £212 million, Wales £585 million and Northern Ireland £127 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund across the years 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25.

DLUHC shares the cross-government objective of increasing the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). MMC provides an important opportunity to improve the quality of new homes, deliver greater energy efficiency, reduce construction waste, improve productivity and address the shortage in construction skills.

New technology and innovation have improved productivity, quality and choice across a range of sectors and the Government wants to see the same happen in housing.

Building regulations apply equally to homes built using Modern Methods of Construction as those built using traditional methods. Developers are responsible for carrying out a full risk assessment of any construction project, including ensuring any new techniques are used correctly.

In formulating the draft regulations, the Government considered national statistics on overall numbers of accidental carbon monoxide poisonings. This, and the falling costs of carbon monoxide alarms, supported the case to extend alarm requirements to include social housing, to rooms having fixed combustion appliances in both rented sectors and to rooms where fixed combustion appliances are installed all irrespective of heating fuel (excluding gas cookers). These regulations, which will provide parity between rented sectors, are applicable to dwellings where a landlord has responsibility for internal repairs and maintenance. They do not account for adjacent properties for which the landlord is not responsible. This decision was based on the evidence and the right balance between safety for residents and ensuring regulatory burdens are proportionate.

Requiring alarms in rooms with fixed combustion appliances will help to mitigate risks in other rooms, as alarms will detect and give audible warning of carbon monoxide before it has a chance to spread elsewhere. It would not be proportionate to mandate additional alarms in other rooms, including bedrooms, that do not contain a fixed combustion appliance.

The Government has already made great strides with the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022, which came into force from 30 June 2022. We will bring forward the second part of our leasehold reforms in the next session of this Parliament.

The Government's Service Standard is mandated for government departments to follow in the development of new digital services. The Service Standard requires new services to be accessible to all users, including disabled people, people with other legally protected characteristics, people who do not have access to the internet and/or lack the skills or confidence to use the internet.

The Service Standard mandates that users who need “assisted digital support” should be able to access public services by phone, face to face meetings, or via webchat. All central government services must meet these requirements to go onto GOV.UK and assurance is provided through a formal Assessment process.

The NHS also follows the Service Standard with additional elements specific to health needs. People can contact their GP practice by telephone, in person or using a secure online form and patients unable to access remote general practice consultations for any reason should be offered an alternative appointment mode. In England and Wales there is no provision for births, deaths, marriages or civil partnerships to be registered online, attendance in person is required. Online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing general practice, and practice receptions should be open so that patients without access to telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.

Responsibility for parking facilities rests with the relevant local authority, as they are best placed to consider how local needs can be effectively met.

DLUHC is currently reviewing Private Parking Code of Practice, which has previously recommended that operators accept at least two different payment methods. For example, cash and card. There are currently no plans to issue a similar direction to local authority car parks.

The Fund was launched on 13 April 2022 and will run until March 2025. We intend the first payments to places to take place in the Autumn.

The Government is keen for local authorities to bring back more empty homes into productive use. In Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill which is currently before Parliament we are improving the process for making and confirming compulsory purchase orders so local authorities have more confidence in using these powers.

Local authorities can exercise their powers to take over the management of long-term empty homes (through Empty Dwelling Management Orders) in certain circumstances in order to bring them back into use in the private rented sector. The department does not collect data on the number of such orders made.

Local authorities can also use their housing compulsory purchase powers under the Housing Act 1985 to deal with empty homes. In the last 3 years, 118 compulsory purchase orders under these enabling powers have been submitted to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for confirmation. There are also other enabling powers that compulsory purchase orders can be made under that could involve empty homes. No further detailed breakdown is available.

Our National Planning Policy Framework encourages the re-use of redundant or disused buildings for housing. In addition, we have introduced a range of nationally set permitted development rights which allow for the change of use from a wide range of vacant commercial buildings, such as shops, offices and restaurants to residential use without the need for a local planning application. The rights are making an important contribution to housing delivery, with over 82,000 new homes delivered under them rights in the six years to March 2021. Pubs will often be an important community asset, and we believe that it is appropriate that any proposals to change their use should be considered through the planning application process.

It is for local housing authorities to decide when to use their powers to deal with empty properties, and they have the flexibility to focus on locally determined priorities and allocate their resources accordingly.

In certain circumstances, local authorities can exercise powers to take over the management of long-term empty homes in order to bring them back into use in the private rented sector. Local authorities can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) when a property has been empty for more than two years, subject to the production of evidence that the property has been causing a nuisance to the community and evidence of community support for their proposal.

Similarly, Compulsory Purchase Orders can be used by local authorities to acquire empty properties where the authority can demonstration that the acquisition would be in the public interest.

This Government is committed to supporting the development of locally-led new and expanded towns and villages through our garden communities programme. In May this year, we announced a package of £15 million to support 43 garden communities from Cornwall to Carlisle. This brings the total support since the launch of the programme from 2014 to over £69.4 million.

New technology and innovation have improved productivity, quality and choice across a range of sectors and the Government wants to see the same happen in housing. In order to achieve the benefits of a modern methods of construction (MMC) sector working at scale, we are stimulating demand through our funding and land programmes.

In the Affordable Housing Programme (2021-26) at least 25% of homes delivered through Strategic Partnerships will use MMC. We have recently launched the £1.5 billion Levelling Up Home Building Fund to support small and medium sized housebuilders, self and custom builders and innovators such as those using MMC. This Fund will provide development finance to deliver 42,000 homes, with the majority of delivery outside London and the South East.

The Government announced in our White Paper 'A Fairer Private Rented Sector' that all tenancies will be periodic, meaning tenants can stay in their home until they choose to leave or the landlord has a valid reason for possession.

The Government has consulted on tenancy reform and will continue to consider carefully the impacts of these reforms on the rental sector. We will look at all these issues as we prepare for legislation, including where they interact with other types of housing such as leasehold property.

The Government announced in our White Paper ‘A Fairer Private Rented Sector’ that all tenancies will be periodic, meaning tenants can stay in their homes until they choose to leave or the landlord has a valid reason for possession.

We do not expect these changes to give rise to shorter and more frequent tenancies. Given the expense and inconvenience of moving house, tenants are unlikely to move unless they really need to and particularly not after starting a new tenancy.

We will continue to work closely with those in the sector on the impacts of these changes on the rental sector, as we prepare for legislation.

The Government announced in our White Paper ‘A Fairer Private Rented Sector’ that we will bring forward legislation to stop landlords from unreasonably withholding consent when a tenant requests to have a pet in their home. We know that that there are situations where it might be reasonable for a landlord to refuse a request. This may include cases where a landlord would be in breach of a superior lease agreement in a block of flats.

We will continue to discuss a common-sense approach with those in the sector as we look towards legislating and implementing these reforms.

633,400 hectares (1,565,100 acres) of land in England is classified as private residential gardens: this equates to approximately 5 per cent of England's total land area

Source: Live Table P400b, Land Use in England 2018 statistics attached (DLUHC): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-land-use

The Ordnance Survey’s OS Open Greenspace spatial data product provides information on the number of hectares of land occupied by open greenspace, including public parks and gardens, within Great Britain (attached): https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/business-government/products/open-map-greenspace

The Government is committed to the protection of our historic environment, including listed buildings such as the Bevis Marks Synagogue, and we have put in place a strong legislative and policy framework to achieve this. In determining planning applications, local planning authorities are under a statutory duty to have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses. This is supported by national planning policy which, in particular, states that any substantial harm or loss to the significance of a Grade I listed building such as the Synagogue should be wholly exceptional and where there is less than substantial harm, the harm should be weighed against the public benefits. In addition, local planning authorities are required to consult Historic England on any proposals affecting a listed building or its setting.

Birkenhead was awarded £25 million in 2021 for a Town Deal to be delivered over 5 years. This funding will support 10 projects, including the £5.7 million 'Transport Shed' which will create a new transport-based heritage visitor attraction for Merseyside and a £3.5 million 'Wellbeing and Opportunity Hub' serving as a new national Centre of Excellence in how arts and culture can be used to reimagine how mental health is supported and understood. Funding is released annually as projects develop and so far, the town has received over £7.3 million, including £2.25 million of accelerated funding and upfront capital which was made available to kickstart delivery and support towns in the early stages of the programme. We continue to work with Wirral Council and the town to ensure projects are progressing well, on time and to budget.

This Government is committed to further improving the diversity of housing options available to older people and boosting the supply of specialist elderly accommodation.

The Older People's Housing taskforce will look at ways we can provide greater choice, quality and security of housing for older people, and support the growth of a thriving older people's housing sector in this country. This work will be taken forward in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care. Further details about the taskforce including panel membership and scope will be confirmed in due course.