Oliver Dowden MP: written questions
4 Jul 2025–3 Jul 2026
How these years work
Our reporting years run from 4 July to 3 July, starting with the 2024 general election. They are not official parliamentary sessions. Office costs keep IPSA’s April–March financial years. Records may cover only part of a year; a missing record does not mean no work was done.
Read what this MP said, asked and contributed in Parliament.
52 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Recreation Spaces: PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13852More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to Local Planning Authorities to ensure that green infrastructure delivered via developer contributions satisfies local requirements for spa
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published in December 2024, sets out that access to high quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and physical activity are important for the health and well-being of communities, and can deliver wider...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRecreation Spaces: PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13851More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what mechanisms exist within national planning policy to enable developers to secure long-term legal protection for newly created public green spaces within major housing allocat
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published in December 2024, sets out that access to high quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and physical activity are important for the health and well-being of communities, and can deliver wider...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRecreation SpacesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13850More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the number of new parks required by 2033 to maintain present levels of provision per person; and what steps his Department is taking to support the
Answer: The Department has not made a formal assessment of the number of additional parks required by 2033 to maintain current provision per head. MHCLG is supporting the creation of green and recreational spaces through the planning system. Planning policies sho...
Answered 7 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRecreation Spaces: PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13849More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed planning reforms on green space accessibility in lower-income socio-economic areas.
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published in December 2024, sets out that access to high quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and physical activity are important for the health and well-being of communities, and can deliver wider...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPlaying Fields: Local GovernmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13848More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to address local authority playing field accessibility.
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published in December 2024, sets out that access to high quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and physical activity are important for the health and well-being of communities, and can deliver wider...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning: SportsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13847More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of technical capacity and specialist resources within Local Planning Authorities to evaluate the potential impact of reduced spo
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 103087 on 13 January 2026 and UIN 119470 on 23 March 2026.
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordSport England: Recreation SpacesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13846More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of trends in the number of recreational spaces that fall outside Sport England's statutory remit, with reference to data compiled by
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published in December 2024, sets out that access to high quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and physical activity are important for the health and well-being of communities, and can deliver wider...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning: SportsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13845More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that planning reforms do not lead to a reduction in local sports provisions.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 103087 on 13 January 2026 and UIN 119470 on 23 March 2026.
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordCommunity AssetsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13844More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria his Department plans to use to define a 'subset of high-impact cases' under the proposals in the 'Reforms to the statutory consultee system' consultation; and what
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 103087 on 13 January 2026 and UIN 119470 on 23 March 2026.
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordCommunity Assets: SportsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13843More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the formal consultation responses submitted to the 'Reforms to the statutor
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 103087 on 13 January 2026 and UIN 119470 on 23 March 2026.
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordSport England: Public ConsultationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13842More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many of the consultation responses received by his Department regarding the proposal to remove Sport England as a statutory consultee, as set out in the November 2025 consult
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 103087 on 13 January 2026 and UIN 119470 on 23 March 2026.
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordGreen BeltMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126629More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2026 to Question 111727, for what reason his Department has not introduced a definition of large built-up area, town, historic town or villa
Answer: The government’s Green Belt policies as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) make reference to large built-up areas, as well as towns and historic towns. These are established terms with the Framework. We have not introduced prescripti...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordRailway Stations: AccessMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126628More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on funding for accessibility improvements at railway stations from Section 106 agreements.
Answer: My Department engages regularly with the Department for Transport on a range of issues. Alongside highways contributions and the Community Infrastructure Levy, Section 106 agreements are a well-established mechanism for making development acceptable in pl...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordPermitted Development Rights: Multiple OccupationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126627More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with local planning authorities on efficiently preparing Article 4 directions under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 for houses in multiple occu
Answer: The procedure for Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to make an Article 4 direction is laid out in Schedule 3 of The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, which is available on gov.uk here. Additional guidance can ...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordPermitted Development Rights: Multiple OccupationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126626More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities have introduced Article 4 directions to restrict the number of houses in multiple occupation.
Answer: Since 1 January 2023, 45 local planning authorities have notified the Secretary of State of ‘Article 4’ Directions removing permitted development rights in relation to Houses in Multiple Occupation.
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordNew Towns: EnfieldMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126625More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the New Towns Taskforce has undertaken a consultation on the proposed new town at Crews Hill and Chase Park, Enfield with Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council.
Answer: The government tasked the New Towns Taskforce, an independent expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Michael Lyons, with developing recommendations to ministers on suitable locations for new towns, as well as how to fund and deliver them. On 28 September 20...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordNew Towns: EnfieldMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126624More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the New Towns Taskforce has undertaken a consultation on the proposed new town at Crews Hill and Chase Park, Enfield with Hertfordshire County Council.
Answer: The government tasked the New Towns Taskforce, an independent expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Michael Lyons, with developing recommendations to ministers on suitable locations for new towns, as well as how to fund and deliver them. On 28 September 20...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordNew Towns: EnfieldMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126623More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the New Towns Taskforce has undertaken a consultation on the proposed new town at Crews Hill and Chase Park, Enfield.
Answer: The government tasked the New Towns Taskforce, an independent expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Michael Lyons, with developing recommendations to ministers on suitable locations for new towns, as well as how to fund and deliver them. On 28 September 20...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordData Centres: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119933More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many data centre developments have been granted consent under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime.
Answer: To date, no data centres have been granted consent under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime.
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordData Centres: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119932More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of data centre developments have been granted consent by local planning authorities on green belt land since July 2024.
Answer: My Department does not hold the information requested.Although it collects and publishes quarterly planning application statistics, which can be found on gov.uk here, it does not collect separate figures on data centre developments that have been granted ...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordData Centres: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119931More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of data centre developments have been granted consent by local planning authorities since July 2024.
Answer: My Department does not hold the information requested.Although it collects and publishes quarterly planning application statistics, which can be found on gov.uk here, it does not collect separate figures on data centre developments that have been granted ...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordData Centres: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119930More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he collects data on the number of data centre developments that have been granted consent by local planning authorities.
Answer: My Department does not hold the information requested.Although it collects and publishes quarterly planning application statistics, which can be found on gov.uk here, it does not collect separate figures on data centre developments that have been granted ...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordClarion Housing Group: ComplaintsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119362More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure tenants living in Clarion Housing properties have issues resolved in an adequate and timely manner.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 28 January 2026 (HCWS1283).
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordClarion Housing Group: StandardsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119361More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure tenants living in Clarion Housing properties have adequate and safe homes.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 28 January 2026 (HCWS1283).
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRented Housing: StandardsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 119360More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to raise the standards of rented properties in Hertsmere.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 115497 on 4 March 2026 and to the Written Ministerial Statement on 28 January 2026 (HCWS1283).
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament record
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4 Jul 2025–3 Jul 2026. One record per UIN and tabled date; the named department is not a measure of answer quality.
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