The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has made significant progress over the last year following substantial reform of its leadership and operations. Under new leadership, it has strengthened capability, improved engagement with industry, streamlined processes and driven a wide-ranging programme of operational improvement.

These changes are delivering results, with faster decisions, increased Gateway 2 approvals and more developments progressing through the system while maintaining robust safety standards.

The BSR is now focused on extending this progress across remediation and the wider building safety regime, supporting both safer buildings and housing delivery.

MHCLG continues to work closely with the BSR to improve performance, proportionality and consistency, while supporting its development towards the future Single Construction Regulator.

The Housing Ombudsman is an independent, impartial, and free service for social housing residents. My Department monitors it against its strategic objectives and agreed performance measures.

Demand for the Housing Ombudsman’s services has increased by 500% from 2021. Since March 2026, the Ombudsman has increased determination output to an average of more than 1,000 cases a month.

The Ombudsman’s 2026–27 Business Plan sets out a caseload reduction strategy focused on increasing staffing, improving processes and systems, and managing demand by supporting better complaint handling by landlords.

My Department does not collect data on the number of Empty Dwelling Management Orders issued by local authorities in London or nationally.

We have assessed the impacts of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme on housing benefit spending and they will be included in the Economic Case of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme Business Case, which remains under development. A summary of that Business Case will be published within four months of final approvals.

I refer the hon. Member to policies HC1, HC3, HC4, and TR1 of the new National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August.

On 30 September 2026, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced plans to appoint a Champion for Unpaid Carers. Work to establish the role is underway and further information will be announced in due course.

The Government recognises the importance of improving food waste data to help reduce food waste and improve resource efficiency. The Department is engaging with industry to improve reporting and data quality, while considering a range of policy options. Potential reporting requirements for larger businesses, including mandatory reporting, remain under consideration.

The Government recognises the importance of improving food waste data to help reduce food waste and improve resource efficiency. The Department is engaging with industry to improve reporting and data quality, while considering a range of policy options. Potential reporting requirements for larger businesses, including mandatory reporting, remain under consideration.

From 2026/27 to 2028/29, over £4 billion in funding will be provided for homelessness and rough sleeping services to help local areas deliver tailored services to tackle all forms of homelessness. In addition, the Government has committed £30 million for a three-year Emergency Accommodation Reduction Programme to support local authorities with the highest pressures to bring down B&B use, particularly unlawful placements in B&B beyond 6 weeks, with eight London Boroughs receiving funding in 2026/27. The Government is also providing £950 million of investment for the fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund – the largest investment in the fund to date - to support local authorities in England to increase the supply of good quality temporary accommodation and drive down the use of costly bed and breakfasts and hotels.

The combination of nil-rate bands, exemptions, and reliefs means less than 10 per cent of estates across the UK are currently forecast to have an inheritance tax liability in 2030-31. Inheritance tax makes an important contribution to the public finances and it is forecast to raise more than £14 billion in 2030-31 to help fund public services.

The latest available statistics are available at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/inheritance-tax-liabilities-statistics.

The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.

The combination of nil-rate bands, exemptions, and reliefs means less than 10 per cent of estates across the UK are currently forecast to have an inheritance tax liability in 2030-31. Inheritance tax makes an important contribution to the public finances and it is forecast to raise more than £14 billion in 2030-31 to help fund public services.

The latest available statistics are available at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/inheritance-tax-liabilities-statistics.

The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.

We recognise that falling pupil numbers can present difficult strategic choices for local areas. Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure that sufficient school places are available. We expect local authorities, academy trusts and other partners to work together to balance supply and demand as local demographics change.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 introduced measures to strengthen cooperation between local authorities and schools on admissions and place planning.

The department’s ‘Strategic school place planning framework’, due to be published this autumn, will support earlier strategic discussions and more transparent, evidence-led decisions about mainstream school capacity and space. It will help local leaders balance the opportunities presented by falling birth rates – such as using space to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, school-based nursery provision and Best Start Family Hubs – against longer-term risks.

The government is supporting the sector to repurpose space through new capital investment, including £400 million for school-based nursery places and £3.7 billion over 5 years to create tens of thousands of specialist places, including within mainstream schools.

We recognise that falling pupil numbers can present difficult strategic choices for local areas. Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure that sufficient school places are available. We expect local authorities, academy trusts and other partners to work together to balance supply and demand as local demographics change.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 introduced measures to strengthen cooperation between local authorities and schools on admissions and place planning.

The department’s ‘Strategic school place planning framework’, due to be published this autumn, will support earlier strategic discussions and more transparent, evidence-led decisions about mainstream school capacity and space. It will help local leaders balance the opportunities presented by falling birth rates – such as using space to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, school-based nursery provision and Best Start Family Hubs – against longer-term risks.

The government is supporting the sector to repurpose space through new capital investment, including £400 million for school-based nursery places and £3.7 billion over 5 years to create tens of thousands of specialist places, including within mainstream schools.

Local special educational needs and disabilities reform plans are live, operational documents owned by Local Area Partnerships, which decide whether to publish. The department will publish confirmation of areas with approved and deferred reform plans, alongside grant allocations for local authorities with plans that have met the threshold, in due course.

Reforms to leasehold service charges remains a matter led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.