Question follow-through · 21953

Empty Property

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of repurposing vacant (a) shops, (b) offices and (c) houses; and whether this would reduce local new-build housing targets.

answeredMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Tabled
3 Jan 2025
Target answer date
7 Jan 2025
Answer
13 Jan 2025 · 10 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

More questions by this MP on Communities and local government

Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.

Recorded timeline

  1. 3 Jan 2025

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of repurposing vacant (a) shops, (b) offices and (c) houses; and whether this would reduce local new-build housing targets.

  2. 7 Jan 2025

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 13 Jan 2025

    Answer published

    The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that substantial weight should be given to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements, including bringing back into residential use empty homes and the development of under-utilised la...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Multiple Occupation: Students

30 Jan 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of giving landlords the power to offer students fixed term house in multiple occupation tenancies for the academic year.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Planning: Nature Conservation

4 Feb 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that National Planning Policy reforms protect (a) nature and (b) wildlife.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Council Tax

4 Feb 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of adding more brackets on the Council Tax band system for the highest value homes.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Housing: Infrastructure

6 Feb 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure major housing developments include mobile network infrastructure.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Telecommunications: Infrastructure

6 Feb 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to review the treatment of digital and mobile infrastructure within the National Planning Policy Framework.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Mobile Broadband: Infrastructure

6 Feb 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to review the National Planning Policy Framework in relation to provisions for new 5G and 4G infrastructure.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Mobile Broadband: Infrastructure

6 Feb 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the National Planning Policy Framework adequately reflects the socio-economic benefits of mobile infrastructure.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Mobile Broadband: Infrastructure

6 Feb 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions her Department has had with Vodafone on the inclusion of mobile connectivity and 5G technologies within the definition of digital infrastructure in the Na

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Homes for Ukraine Scheme

21 Feb 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the updated Homes for Ukraine Scheme on Ukrainian refugees' ability to access housing.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Local Government: Devolution

10 Mar 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the provisions in the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, on (a) localism and (b) communities.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Housing: Warranties

7 Apr 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to require (a) developers and (b) housing associations to have robust warranties in place which include

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Parish and Town Councils

8 Apr 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will consider the adoption of new formal partnership mechanisms with Town and Parish Councils in new unitary authorities formed through Local Government reorgan