A brief summary of current government consultations of potential interest to RSN members. This is not intended as an exhaustive list of all relevant consultations.

- Download a printable version of the Government Consultations here

Consultation: provisional local government finance settlement 2025 to 2026 – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

This consultation seeks views on the proposals for the local government finance settlement for 2025 to 2026.

This consultation closes on 15 January 2025.

Consultation: provisional local government finance settlement 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK

Local authority funding reform: objectives and principles – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

This consultation seeks views on the approach to determining new funding allocations for local authorities and fire and rescue authorities. Government state: “It also covers ways we can reduce demands on local government and increase local flexibility, for example through changes to the sales, fees and charges landscape and funding consolidation.”

This consultation relates to changes from 2026-27 onwards and is distinct to that of the provisional local government finance settlement for 2025-26.

This consultation closes on 12 February 2025.

Local authority funding reform: objectives and principles - GOV.UK

Compulsory Purchase Process and Compensation Reforms – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

This consultation seeks views on a range of proposals aimed at implementing technical reforms to make the compulsory purchase process quicker, lower costs of the process, and ensure the compensation rules are fairer.

This consultation closes on 13 February 2025.

Compulsory Purchase Process and Compensation Reforms - GOV.UK

Strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

This consultation seeks views on introducing measures to strengthen the standards and conduct regime in England and ensure consistency of approach amongst councils investigating serious breaches of their member codes of conduct, including the introduction of the power of suspension.

This consultation closes on 26 February 2025.

Strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England - GOV.UK

Local audit reform: a strategy for overhauling the local audit system in England – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

This strategy commits to a series of measures “to fix the broken local audit system,” including:

• a local audit vision with 8 core principles
• the establishment of a statutory and independent Local Audit Office (LAO), with 5 strategic responsibilities - coordinating the system, contract management, ownership of the Code of Audit Practice, quality oversight and reporting
• mandating audit committees

The government is also consulting on a number of specific proposals as part of this strategy.

This consultation closes on 29 January 2025.

Local audit reform: a strategy for overhauling the local audit system in England - GOV.UK

Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

This consultation concerns changes to Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), Display Energy Certificates (DECs), and air conditioning inspection reports (ACIRs).

Government state they are committed to reforming the Energy Performance of Buildings regime.

To achieve this, the consultation includes proposed reforms to enhance the regime in 5 areas:

• updating what EPCs measure through additional metrics
• updating when energy certificates are required by refining the rules for obtaining EPCs and DECs
• managing energy certificate quality
• improving the accessibility of building performance data
• strengthening the quality of air conditioning inspection reports

This consultation closes on 26 February 2025.

Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime - GOV.UK

Phasing out sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 and supporting the ZEV transition – Department for Transport

This consultation seeks views on delivering the commitment to end the sale of new cars powered solely by internal combustion engines by 2030 and supporting the UK’s transition to zero emissions vehicles. The consultation is split into 2 parts.

• Part 1 is about phasing out sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 and supporting zero emission transition.
• The second part of this consultation is about the the ZEV (zero emission vehicles) Mandate, delivered through the vehicle emissions trading schemes (VETs).

This consultation closes on 18 February 2025.

Phasing out sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 and supporting the ZEV transition - GOV.UK

Reforming the Right to Buy – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

Government state: “Right to Buy is an integral way for social tenants to get on the property ladder; many of whom may not otherwise be able to access home ownership. However, reform of Right to Buy is essential to better protect much-needed social housing stock, boost council capacity and build more social homes than we lose, supporting the government’s commitment to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.”

The consultation follows the reduction in maximum Right to Buy cash discounts, which was announced at Autumn Budget 2024, and asks for views on:

• the qualifying criteria for tenants
• initial and maximum discounts as a percentage of the property value
• which types of properties should be exempted under the scheme
• whether there should be increased restrictions on properties after sale
• the replacement of homes sold under the Right to Buy
• rules governing the use of Right to Buy receipts and how these could be simplified

This consultation closes on 15 January 2025.

Reforming the Right to Buy - GOV.UK

Heat networks regulation: implementing consumer protections – Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

This joint DESNZ / Ofgem consultation seeks views and provides updates on consumer protection requirements around:

• the scope of regulation
• how protections will work for non-domestic and small-medium size enterprise consumers
• overarching standards of conduct
• obligations for fair pricing
• protecting vulnerable consumers
• step-in proposals
• approaches to segmentation

This consultation closes on 31 January 2025.

Heat networks regulation: implementing consumer protections - GOV.UK

Local Government Pension Scheme (England and Wales): Fit for the future – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

A consultation on a package of proposed reforms to the structure, investments, and governance of the Local Government Pension Scheme.

This consultation seeks views on proposals designed to strengthen the management of Local Government Pension Scheme investments. The proposals relate to the topics of asset pooling, local and regional investment, and scheme governance.

This consultation closes on 16 January 2025.

Local Government Pension Scheme (England and Wales): Fit for the future - GOV.UK