Wendy Morton MP: written questions 2026
595 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Water: West MidlandsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 15 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 19016More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the additional water storage capacity that will be required in the West Midlands over the next 20 years to meet projected population growth and climate ch
Answer: Through its water resources management plan, Severn Trent Water has selected a new West Midlands raw water storage reservoir to provide 32.5 million litres per day from 2040 onwards. This is expected to use an existing quarry site to abstract and hold hig...
Answered 1 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordReservoirs: West MidlandsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 15 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 19015More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to increase water storage capacity in the West Midlands through the construction of new reservoirs or other strategic water infrastructure.
Answer: Through its water resources management plan, Severn Trent Water has selected a new West Midlands raw water storage reservoir to provide 32.5 million litres per day from 2040 onwards. This is expected to use an existing quarry site to abstract and hold hig...
Answered 1 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning: ApplicationsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18625More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local planning authorities will be required to publish data on (a) the number of applications determined by officers, (b) the number determined by planning committees, (c
Answer: My Department has published statutory guidance setting out how the national scheme of delegation will operate, including the arrangements for referral to planning committees and transparency and reporting requirements. This can be found on gov.uk here. An...
Answered 23 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18624More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) the National Scheme of Delegation on progress towards the Government’s target of delivering 1.5 million homes and (b) a
Answer: My Department has published statutory guidance setting out how the national scheme of delegation will operate, including the arrangements for referral to planning committees and transparency and reporting requirements. This can be found on gov.uk here. An...
Answered 23 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning: ApplicationsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18623More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the reduction in the number of planning applications considered by elected planning committees as a result of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 202
Answer: My Department has published statutory guidance setting out how the national scheme of delegation will operate, including the arrangements for referral to planning committees and transparency and reporting requirements. This can be found on gov.uk here. An...
Answered 23 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18622More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what circumstances will permit an application that would otherwise be delegated to a planning officer to be referred to a planning committee; what role ward councillors will have
Answer: My Department has published statutory guidance setting out how the national scheme of delegation will operate, including the arrangements for referral to planning committees and transparency and reporting requirements. This can be found on gov.uk here. An...
Answered 23 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18621More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance he has issued on accountability where planning decisions are delegated to officers; whether planning officers will be required to publish written reasons for delega
Answer: My Department has published statutory guidance setting out how the national scheme of delegation will operate, including the arrangements for referral to planning committees and transparency and reporting requirements. This can be found on gov.uk here. An...
Answered 23 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: Land UseMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18620More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the proportion of the Government’s target of 1.5 million new homes that will be delivered on (a) previously developed land, (b) greenfield land withi
Answer: My Department does not hold this information.
Answered 23 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18619More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of local planning authorities which will meet the housing requirements generated by the revised standard method; what estimate he has made
Answer: The standard method identifies a minimum annual housing need figure and ensures that plan-making is informed by an unconstrained assessment of the number of homes needed in an area. It does not produce a housing requirement figure. Once local housing need...
Answered 23 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18618More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of whether the revised National Planning Policy Framework will increase the number of planning permissions granted before supporting infrastructure is
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published in December 2024 makes clear that local planning authorities should plan positively for the provision and use of shared spaces, community facilities, transport and other infrastructure to enhance the...
Answered 23 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18617More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the draft National Planning Policy Framework on the capacity of local planning authorities to refuse planning applications
Answer: By law, planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan for the area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The National Planning Policy Framework must be taken into account in preparing the development plan, ...
Answered 23 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18616More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the draft National Planning Policy Framework on the amount of development expected to take place on (a) greenfield land and
Answer: By law, planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan for the area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The National Planning Policy Framework must be taken into account in preparing the development plan, ...
Answered 23 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning: ApplicationsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18615More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the proportion of planning applications in England that will be determined by (a) elected planning committees and (b) planning officers following the
Answer: My Department has published statutory guidance setting out how the national scheme of delegation will operate, including the arrangements for referral to planning committees and transparency and reporting requirements. This can be found on gov.uk here. An...
Answered 23 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPackaging: RecyclingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18614More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of the Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on (a) household costs through higher retail prices, (b) food price inflation and (c
Answer: The 2024 final impact assessment for Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) estimated it could result in a one-off increase in CPI inflation of 0.07 percentage points, or an increase to average weekly household expenditure of £0.91. It did ...
Answered 21 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordNitrous OxideHome OfficeTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18613More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) arrests, (b) charges, (c) cautions and (d) convictions relating to the unlawful possession, supply or production of nitrous oxide have been recorded since the substance became a Class C d
Answer: Data on the prevalence of misuse of nitrous oxide is published by the Office for National Statistics, through the Crime Survey for England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025, 0.5% of 16- to 59-year-olds in England and Wales reported using nitrous ox...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordNitrous OxideHome OfficeTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18612More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the prevalence of the sale and misuse of nitrous oxide canisters since the introduction of the ban under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and if she will publish
Answer: Data on the prevalence of misuse of nitrous oxide is published by the Office for National Statistics, through the Crime Survey for England and Wales. In the year ending March 2025, 0.5% of 16- to 59-year-olds in England and Wales reported using nitrous ox...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordWater Supply: HousingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18611More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring water companies to demonstrate that sufficient water resources are available before large-scale housing dev
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 6660 on 10 June 2026.
Answered 21 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordWater Supply: HousingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18610More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Government’s target to deliver 1.5 million new homes on long-term water demand in England.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 6660 on 10 June 2026.
Answered 21 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18609More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to require developers of new housing developments to incorporate passive cooling measures, including external shading, increased tree cover and enhanced natural
Answer: Part O of the Building Regulations came into force in June 2022 and requires new residential buildings to be built to mitigate the risk of overheating. Part O encourages passive design measures, such as limiting solar gain and enabling heat to be removed ...
Answered 17 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18608More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether delivering 1.5 million new homes will require changes to overheating standards within Building Regulations.
Answer: Part O of the Building Regulations came into force in June 2022 and requires new residential buildings to be built to mitigate the risk of overheating. Part O encourages passive design measures, such as limiting solar gain and enabling heat to be removed ...
Answered 17 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18607More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current Building Regulations in ensuring that new homes remain safe and habitable during periods of extreme heat.
Answer: Part O of the Building Regulations came into force in June 2022 and requires new residential buildings to be built to mitigate the risk of overheating. Part O encourages passive design measures, such as limiting solar gain and enabling heat to be removed ...
Answered 17 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordWest Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority: Best ValueMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 17731More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Inspection of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority, a) when do Ministers expect to receive the report, and b) whether the report will be made
Answer: I received the report into the Best Value Inspection of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority on 11 June 2026. I am currently considering the report's findings and recommendations. No decision has yet been taken on publication. Any announcement on publi...
Answered 17 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordBatteries: TemperatureDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 8 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16908More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of extreme summer temperatures on the safety and resilience of Battery Energy Storage Systems; and what discussions has he had with industr
Answer: The regulatory framework governing grid-scale battery safety is overseen by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and requires developers to keep batteries within their safe operating range throughout their lifetimes. In April 2024, the Government publish...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordBatteries: TemperatureDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 8 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16907More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of extreme summer temperatures on the safety and resilience of Battery Energy Storage Systems; and what discussions has he had with industr
Answer: The regulatory framework governing grid-scale battery safety is overseen by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and requires developers to keep batteries within their safe operating range throughout their lifetimes. In April 2024, the Government publish...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: BuildingsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 7 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16449More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate has been made of (a) the total capital cost of the Workplace Transformation programme, (b) expected annual savings arising from the programme, (c) the payback period, (d) consultancy expen
Answer: Information in relation to the Workplace Transformation Programmes financial and risk position are outlined in the Accounting Officer Assessment published on Gov.uk here: DWP accounting officer assessments for the Government Major Projects Portfolio - GOV...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament record
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