Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

New Homes

Monday 12 January 2026 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister urges local authorities to have local plans in place to help developers and speed up house building.
  • Helena Dollimore highlights the importance of playground access in new communities being built.
  • Lee Dillon asks about using powers in the Building Safety Act to mandate the New Homes Ombudsman Service.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Lincoln Jopp Con Spelthorne
Housing Local Government
Context

The question follows a period of increased focus on housing targets and policy measures to boost house building.

Question

In my Spelthorne constituency, as a result of action taken by the independent, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green-led borough council, we have not had a local plan for a couple of years. It was finally submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 25 November, but there has been a planning wild west in Spelthorne for the last couple of years, which I am keen to bring to an end. Will the Secretary of State use his good offices to influence the planning inspector to try to turn around this local plan as soon as possible?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Steve Reed)

I certainly urge all local authorities to ensure that they have a local plan in place. When we came into government, two thirds of local authorities did not have a plan, but they need one to help developers know what they can build and where, and to speed up house building, which we all want to see.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not directly address whether he will intervene with the Planning Inspectorate for Spelthorne's local plan.

How: General Advice

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Q2 Helena Dollimore Labour (Co-op) Hastings and Rye
Housing
Context

The MP is concerned about the lack of playgrounds near new build estates, particularly in Hastings and Rye.

Question

When we are building the new homes that we desperately need, it is important that we think about playgrounds and access to play. I have just audited all the playgrounds in Hastings and Rye. I found that many parents and children have to walk for over 20 minutes to get to a playground, particularly in new build estates, and housing associations have shamefully closed many playgrounds in recent years. Will the Minister meet me to discuss these findings, how we can ensure that new house building includes access to play and how we can put pressure on housing associations to live up to their duty to provide play?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Steve Reed)

My hon. Friend makes the important point that we are trying to build not just homes but communities. Those communities need the facilities and infrastructure that allow them to meet their wider aspirations for the places where they are located. Some of those points will be addressed in the new NPPF that we have brought forward, but I am more than happy to ensure that she gets the meeting that she wants to ensure that the detail of what her constituents want to see is included in the changes that we bring forward.

Answered
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Q3 Lee Dillon Lib Dem Newbury
Housing
Context

The MP is concerned about the quality of new homes being built and notes that only 60% of developers are currently signed up to the New Homes Ombudsman Service.

Question

The Secretary of State talked about increasing the pace of build-out, but as we strive to achieve the target of 1.5 million new homes, quality is important too. Will the Secretary of State say whether he will use the powers in the Building Safety Act 2022 to make the New Homes Ombudsman Service mandatory, because only 60% of developers are currently signed up to that scheme?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Steve Reed)

We are making changes to building standards and the Building Safety Regulator, as the hon. Gentleman will be aware. I am happy to look at the proposal that he makes and to engage with him further if it would be helpful.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not explicitly state whether he will mandate the New Homes Ombudsman Service, only offered to consider the proposal.

How: Openness To Discuss

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Q4 Chris Webb Lab Blackpool South
Housing
Context

The MP is concerned about the severe shortage of social and council housing in Blackpool, which affects many people's quality of life.

Question

In Blackpool, we have a waiting list of around 12,000 for social and council housing. Given the deprivation throughout Blackpool, we know that the quality of housing is below where it needs to be, and so many people are struggling with their health and other conditions. Will the Secretary of State outline for me and Blackpool council what more can be done so that we can build the social housing we desperately need and meet the 1.5 million target?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Steve Reed)

My hon. Friend describes a situation in Blackpool that I am sure Members across the House will recognise from many other constituencies, with the desperate need for more social and affordable housing. He will be pleased to be reminded that the new social and affordable homes programme of £39 billion, which will deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in this country for a generation, opens for bids next month. I hope that his local authority will be keen to make applications to it.

Answered
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Q5 Paul Holmes Con Hamble Valley
Housing
Context

The MP is skeptical of the Government's ability to meet their housing target of 1.5 million new homes, particularly in rural areas.

Question

With a new year often come new year’s resolutions. Will the Secretary of State make a new year’s resolution to accept the truth that the Government will not meet their 1.5 million housing target, which he set out? Will he confirm that he still thinks his job is on the line if he does not achieve that? Huge focus has been placed on rural areas with no infrastructure, but cities—often Labour cities—have been left off the hook, so will he commit to changing the formula to make it fairer and, more importantly, more deliverable?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Steve Reed)

If the hon. Gentleman’s party had not scrapped house building targets around the country, we might see more of the kinds of homes that we need in every single part of the country—urban, suburban and rural. As for our targets, the judgment of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, which was set up by the previous Conservative Government, is that this Government will oversee the biggest increase in house building for 40 years. That will put the key to their own home into the hands of people who were denied it under the Conservatives.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not directly acknowledge difficulties or commit to changing policies, instead defended government targets.

How: Defensive Response

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