The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 1st June 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the provision of sufficient affordable housing in rural areas to enable young people to remain in the villages where they live and work, ensuring the long-term viability of those communities.
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab, DHCLG): The government recently consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework, that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making.
That consultation includes proposals to strengthen support for rural exception sites, which deliver affordable housing to meet local needs in rural areas, and to make it easier for authorities to require affordable housing on smaller sites in rural areas.
We have confirmed a new 10-year £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme to kickstart social and affordable housebuilding at scale across the country.
I otherwise refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statements made on 2 July 2025 (HLWS770(opens in a new tab) attached) and 28 January (HLWS1283(opens in a new tab) attached).
The Church of England in Parliament 
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