Matthew Pennycook MP: speeches 2026

Speeches

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  We have reviewed transnational repression through the defending democracy taskforce; we take it incredibly seriously, and I note the hon. Gentleman’s concerns. I am here on behalf of my Department as the Housing and Planning Minister to make clear what the process is for making a decision on this embassy application.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  With all due respect to the hon. Lady, this is an urgent question in relation to plans that are part of a planning process. I understand her frustration, but it was precisely to secure the information in question that a reference back was made to the parties on 6 August. Her constituents can be reassured that all material considerations will be taken into account by the relevant Ministers when a decision is made on this case.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  I am afraid that all I can say to the right hon. Gentleman, for whom I have a huge amount of respect, is that all material considerations will be taken into account when reaching a decision on this case.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for her questions, and I note and appreciate her concerns. We need a consistent position on China, which cannot be boiled down to one word. We recognise that China poses a series of threats to UK national security, and we challenge those robustly. China also presents opportunities to the UK, as the world’s second largest economy and the UK’s third largest trading partner. We will therefore continue to develop a consistent and pragmatic approach to economic engagement, without compromising our national security. On Hong Kong in particular we will not tolerate any attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas, especially in the UK. On the matter before us, which is the particular case in question, as I have stressed before—I am afraid I will have to do so repeatedly—no decision has been made. I cannot comment on any aspects of the case, which is a live case for Planning Ministers to determine. All material considerations will be taken into account when making a decision, but I am afraid I cannot comment on any specific national security concerns.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  Planning Ministers will make a decision taking into account all material planning considerations.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  As I have said, all material considerations will be taken into account when making the decision. Any party can make representations on the case and a number of hon. Members from across the House have done so, and all relevant planning considerations will be taken into account when reaching that decision.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  I note the hon. Gentleman’s concerns, and I appreciate his frustration, but this is ultimately a planning case on which a decision is being made. As I have said repeatedly to hon. Members, all material considerations will be taken into account when reaching a decision on this case.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  I note the right hon. Gentleman’s concerns, and the Security Minister and other Ministers will have heard them too. However, the case is specifically a planning decision to be made in accordance with the propriety rules and other considerations that Planning Ministers have to take into account as part of the quasi-judicial process, but all material considerations will be taken into account as part of that process.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  I note the right hon. Gentleman’s question. For obvious reasons, we do not comment on intelligence matters. I can assure him that national security concerns and all the representations that have been made along those lines will be taken into account as part of the decision-making process. He says that Tower Hamlets does not have the relevant expertise to make the decision in the round; that is precisely why an independent public inquiry was held by an independent public inspector. The report was passed to the Government, and they had the chance to seek further information for a reference back, as we did on 6 August, so that the relevant Planning Minister in my Department can take the decision on the basis of all the required information.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  I appreciate why the hon. Gentleman is tempting me on this matter, but as I have made very clear, it would be completely inappropriate for me to comment from this Dispatch Box on national security considerations in respect of this live case. On his specific question of whether China has been given a commitment that permission will be granted, the decision is being taken by my Department in line with statutory provisions governing planning decisions and published propriety guidance, and as I keep saying, no decision has yet been made on the case.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  I want to be very clear about what information the Department had and when it had it. As I said, an independent inquiry into this matter was held by an independent planning inspector. The onus is on the applicant to submit documents to that inquiry. At the point that the inspector’s report was given to us, it was then in the gift of the Department to request further information via a reference back to parties. We did that on 6 August, specifically in respect of those redacted plans. I am not going to comment on live applications to the case, but all material considerations will be taken into account. Similarly, it would not be right for me to comment on the intelligence services or what input they have had into the decision, but the Minister for Security, my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley North (Dan Jarvis), is beside me on the Front Bench. A decision will be made on or before 20 January. At that point, the decision letter will be issued. It will contain a list of post-inquiry representations, including those received as part of the reference-back exercise, and it will be publicly available on request.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  What I would say to the hon. Gentleman, as I have said to other hon. Members, is that all national security considerations will be taken into account. He can be reassured of that fact.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  The planning process has not been compromised. We will make a planning decision on the basis of the relevant propriety guidance. On the delays, given the detailed nature of the representations provided and the need to give parties sufficient opportunity to respond, we have considered that more time is needed for full consideration of the applications. A variation to the timetable is routine when more time is needed for determination, such as when it is necessary to consider that additional information, but as I have made clear, our intention is to make a decision on or before 20 January.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  I am afraid to say to the hon. Gentleman that I cannot provide a running commentary on a live case. All material considerations will be taken into account when making a decision.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  I simply note that all the points the hon. Gentleman has made could apply to the existing seven diplomatic premises in the UK. When it comes to this site, as I have said, a decision will be made on or before 20 January, and all material considerations will be taken into account. We remain steadfast in our support for the Hong Kong community in the UK. As I said in answer to a previous question, we have undertaken a review of transnational repression as part of the defending democracy taskforce—it is something we take incredibly seriously.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  I thank the shadow Minister for her questions. I am obviously not going to comment on speculation in the press. On the specific case before Ministers, at the application stage it was a matter for parties what information was put forward for consideration, and it was a matter for Tower Hamlets what information was put on the planning register and the inquiry website. We have not misled the House. All inquiry documents are publicly available on that website, and if new potentially relevant information is drawn to the Department’s attention, it will be assessed. That includes consideration of its relevance, and whether it is necessary to obtain that information or refer back to parties. That is a routine process. The Secretary of State transparently sought further information on the redacted drawings via a reference-back letter to parties issued on 6 August. I say again that no decision has been made on the case. I cannot comment on individual aspects of the case, and it would be entirely inappropriate for me to comment on any matter of national security, or on behalf of the security services. All inquiry documents, including the redacted drawings put forward by the applicant at application stage, are publicly available on the Tower Hamlets website. When the final decision is published, the decision letter will contain a list of post-inquiry representations, including those received as part of the reference-back exercise, and those will be publicly available on request.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  This question relates to the proposals for a new Chinese embassy at Royal Mint Court. It is a decision to be taken by Planning Ministers, independent of the rest of Government. As I have said before in the House, this Government are committed to the probity of the planning process at all levels, to ensure robust and evidence-based decision making. Planning Ministers must take decisions following a quasi-judicial process, meaning that they must take decisions fairly, based on evidence and planning rules. As the case is currently before the Department for consideration, and due to the statutory role of Ministers in the planning process, it would be entirely inappropriate for me to comment further on this live case. That said, I fully understand Members’ interest in the case, so I will briefly set out the process that the case has followed to date. A public inquiry into the applications was held by an independent planning inspector between 11 and 19 February 2025. The Department received the inspector’s report into the applications on 10 June that year. On 6 August 2025, a reference-back letter was sent to parties seeking further information, specifically in respect of the redacted plans and some issues raised by the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. That was recirculated for further comment on 22 August, and again on 16 October, 2 December, and 17 December. It was recirculated for information on 6 January 2026. Referring back to parties is routine when further information is required. As you know, Mr Speaker, the Government do not provide a running commentary on planning casework decisions, and it would be particularly inappropriate to make any comment on material that has been received. The reference-back material will be available on request when the decision is issued. The timetable has been varied to allow for full consideration of the applications, given the detailed nature of the representations provided, and the need to give parties sufficient opportunity to respond. A final decision will now be made on or before 20 January 2026. Such variation to the timetable is routine when additional time is needed for determination. Members can be assured—I am afraid I will be required to state the following ad nauseam, Mr Speaker—that Ministers will take all material planning considerations into account when the final decision is made, and Ministers will inform the House of the decision accordingly.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  I simply do not accept that characterisation of the Government’s approach to China. We have to take a consistent and pragmatic approach, but we recognise that China poses a series of threats. As I have said, no decision has yet been made on this case, and all material planning considerations will be taken into account when one is made.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  I repeat what I said specifically about transnational repression. We will not tolerate any attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas, especially in the UK. The decision that is before Planning Ministers will be taken independent of the rest of Government. Planning Ministers must take decisions following a quasi-judicial process, meaning that they must make decisions fairly, based on evidence and planning laws. I stress again that all material considerations will be taken into account when reaching a decision.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  I am not going to comment on behalf of the security services— [ Interruption. ] Opposition Members are chuntering from a sedentary position, but I am not going to do that. It is not appropriate for me to comment on behalf of the security services, but as I continue to say, all material considerations will be taken into account. I am here answering the urgent question on the Chinese embassy, which is a decision for my Department and Planning Ministers within it.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  I recognise my hon. Friend’s frustration and anger on behalf of his constituent. We will not tolerate transnational repression of the kind that he is concerned about. Specifically, the counterfactual here is not that the Chinese do not have an embassy; they have seven diplomatic premises in the UK already. Again, I come back to the fact that we will make a decision on this case on the material planning considerations that pertain to it.

• 12 Jan 2026 · House Building: Stoke-on-Trent · Hansard source

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  The Government are taking concerted action to boost rates of house building across England, including reforming the planning system and allocating record levels of grant funding support for social and affordable house building over the coming years, to the benefit of Stoke-on-Trent and the rest of the country.

• 12 Jan 2026 · House Building: Stoke-on-Trent · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is a doughty champion for his constituency, and he continues to make a powerful case for the renewal of Hanley city centre as the commercial heart of north Staffordshire. I have had a series of constructive meetings with him and other local leaders about the Hanley masterplan. I know he will welcome the £8 million of investment in Burslem town centre, delivering 800 homes. I am more than happy to continue the conversation with him about the possibility of a new locally led development corporation to take forward the regeneration of the city centre.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Private Rent Inflation · Hansard source

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  The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 contains provisions allowing tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases. The new tenancy system will come into force on 1 May this year, at which point landlords will only be able to increase rents once a year to the market rate, and tenants will be able to challenge unreasonable increases at the first-tier tribunal. The Act will also put an end to unfair rental bidding practices and demands from landlords for large amounts of rent in advance.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Private Rent Inflation · Hansard source

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  We will of course keep the implementation of the Act under continual review, but, as I have said, it allows tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases at the first-tier tribunal, which will make a judgment on whether the increases are fair and meet that market-rate definition. We have, however, made it clear that the Government do not support the introduction of rent controls, including rent stabilisation measures, for the reasons that we debated at some length during the passage of the Bill.