Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government written question – answered at on 5 March 2026.
Samantha Niblett
Labour, South Derbyshire
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the decision not to require solar photovoltaic panels on all new residential and commercial buildings from 2026 under the updated building regulations, and what are the reasons for not mandating this measure.
Samantha Dixon
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Buildings constructed to the Future Homes and Buildings Standards will be future proofed with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency. The consultation for the Future Homes and Buildings Standards had two proposals for the energy performance requirements of new non-domestic buildings, both of which included the use of solar panels. The government has also confirmed that solar panels are expected to be installed in the Majority of new homes.
Yes1 person thinks so
No0 people think not
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.
