Guidance

MHCLG statistics work programme

Published 27 August 2026

Introduction

MHCLG publishes over 100 statistics releases each year. This work programme sets out our plans for developing and improving our official statistics during 2026-27 and 2027-28. We have some cross cutting priorities listed below, alongside the development plans for specific series.

A list of all our planned official statistics releases during this period is shown in the Annex. All our releases are pre-announced in the release calendar.

Our plans are shaped by ongoing engagement with our wide range of users, departmental priorities and resource constraints and we keep them under review. As a result, some elements of the plan may change during the year. We will update this Work Programme with any significant changes.

MHCLG official statistics are produced in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics. Information on how we comply with different elements of the Code is available in Standards for official statistics published by MHCLG.

Feedback

We have multiple channels to promote user engagement with our statistics, and our annual work programme is informed by ongoing user dialogue. We are keen to receive feedback from users on our plans.

Relevant contact details are included throughout this document. Alternatively, email enquiries.officialstatistics@communities.gov.uk to comment on or discuss our overall work programme.

Cross-cutting priorities for 2026-27 and 2027-28

We have identified a number of cross-cutting priorities for statistics improvements. These are based on an internal assurance exercise amongst our statistics teams, departmental priorities and resource considerations and overarching areas for development identified by our statistical leadership.

Trustworthiness

• We have recently run an internal assurance exercise to assess our statistics series against the principles and practices in the Code of Practice. Our senior statisticians have reviewed and discussed the findings and agreed cross-cutting priority areas to focus on as statistical leaders. We will look to run a similar exercise in future, including using the Evaluation Tool developed by OSR to help identify areas for further development.

• Our senior statisticians will continue to meet regularly as a leadership team to our community of statisticians, to discuss and promote consistency and coherence, identify cross-cutting issues to address or areas of good practice to share.

• We will continue to maintain our processes for responsible data management and protection of confidential data, identifying and acting promptly on any issues that arise and ensuring teams have provide robust induction for new members on managing their datasets securely.

Quality

• We are developing a ‘Statistics Play Book’, intended to set clearer direction for good statistical practice across the department, including on the use of AI and RAP, Quality Assurance, and wider expectations of how we design and deliver high-quality statistical work.

• Across many of our statistics teams, there is ongoing work to automate manual production processes, as is proportionate and possible, to help reduce the risk of processing errors and improve efficiency.

Value

• We will promote the needs of users and ensure they continue to inform decisions on our outputs, within departmental resource constraints. We will support teams by sharing best practice on user engagement from within MHCLG and across the wider Government Statistical Service (GSS).

• We will continue to seek ways to improve the communication and presentation of our statistics to users.

Plans for MHCLG statistical series in 2026-27 and 2027-28

The text below covers official statistics produced by MHCLG, setting out high level plans for this year. These are subject to resource constraints and evolving departmental priorities.

Further details are available from individual teams, via the contact details provided below. We would welcome feedback on any of these series.

Deprivation

Statutory homelessness

We will further develop our published quarterly outputs as well as providing additional annual outputs for 2025-26. Our priorities include improving the timeliness and accessibility of homelessness statistics, strengthening the quality and efficiency of data collection and processing, and ensuring that our outputs continue to meet the needs of users.

We will review opportunities to streamline statistical publications, rationalise and modernise the use of dashboards and data tools, improve the alignment between collected data and published outputs, and support greater automation within our technical processes. We will also continue to work with local authorities, policy colleagues and other stakeholders to ensure the collection remains relevant, proportionate and responsive to evolving information needs.

Alongside these developments, we will maintain the regular publications whilst identifying efficiencies to streamline and exploring options to improve the quality, usability and value of our statistical products for a wide range of users. This work will be delivered within available resources and may evolve in response to user feedback, operational priorities and wider system developments.

Rough sleeping

No major developments planned in the collection or publication of our annual snapshot (the official statistics series).

We are currently conducting a review of the content and frequency our rough sleeping data framework management information collection, reflecting the evolving needs of policy and operational colleagues following the publication of the National Plan to End Homelessness, whilst balancing user burden for local authorities submitting data.

Our other priorities include joining up products across the homelessness and rough sleeping space, and technical improvements to streamline the production of the statistics and outputs that use them (e.g. dashboards).

English Indices of Deprivation (IoD) and English Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)

Following the Indices Futures consultation in 2022, we are working towards a harmonised publication alongside statistical teams in the devolved nations. Following the publication of the IoD and IMD 2025 we will also be reviewing the IMD and IoD ahead of a future publication.

Fire

Fire and rescue operational statistics

During 2026-27 and 2027-28, we will continue to improve the efficiency and resilience of our data collection processes. A key focus will be transitioning operational statistics data collection to the Fire and Rescue Data Platform (FaRDaP), aligning collection processes with those used for incident statistics. This will help support consistent data management, improve data quality assurance processes and provide a more sustainable platform for future statistical development. We will continue to review our outputs in response to user needs and feedback.

Fire and rescue incident statistics

We will continue to develop the fire and rescue incident statistics collection to ensure it reflects emerging risks and user needs. In 2027-28 we plan to introduce new data items relating to incidents involving products and technologies of growing public interest, including lithium-ion batteries and air fryers.

Following implementation of these changes, we will develop and publish new statistical outputs and analysis to provide users with improved insight into these incident types. We will also continue to review the content and presentation of our publications to maximise their value to users.

Building safety remediation (management information that voluntarily applies to the Code of Practice)

No major development planned. We will look to implement the suggestions from the Office for Statistics Regulation’s recent compliance review. For example, we will continue to add more data and insight, where relevant. We will add an updated review of the quality of the data in our technical note and add an updated revisions policy.

Housing

English Housing Survey

The English Housing Survey is currently undergoing a contract re-let. Over the course of the next contract period (2027-2032), we will work to develop further outputs and enact methodological developments and efficiencies including:

• moving to a mixed-mode (online and face to face) data collection
• further matching to admin data sources to improve the robustness and/or explanatory value of the survey
• further use of the ‘re-contact’ list for follow up polling and qualitative research
• accessibility work, including an online table builder where users can run EHS cross-breaks without the help of specialist software

English Private Landlord Survey

We will review the quality of data within the upcoming Private Rented Sector Database as a potential new sample frame. Sampling is currently done from TDP data, which has limitations around coverage of the sector.

Energy efficiency characteristics of new dwellings

Following discussions with Welsh Government, we plan to extend our processes to additionally produce and publish figures for Wales in future.

By winter 2027-28, we will develop categories in our publication to cater for homes built to the version of Part L of building regulations announced in 2026; the Part L version in England that was announced in 2026 is known as the Future Homes Standard.

Energy Performance of Buildings Certificates

Following a user engagement exercise in 2026, we have identified improvement priorities for the quarterly release and a proposal for an annual one to replace the Energy efficiency of housing release published previously by the Office for National Statistics. We are now considering how best to achieve these new proposals, subject to available resources. Further details will be provided in our user engagement report due out in September 2026.

Housing supply and dwelling stock

In 2026-27, the Office for Statistics Regulation will review the net additional dwellings and indicators of new supply statistics. We will continue to streamline the data collection and production process while developing the content of the releases in response to user needs and feedback.

Social housing lettings

No major development planned. The collection is reviewed each year in collaboration with a range of stakeholders to ensure that questions continue to meet user needs. This often results in changes to questions to meet evolving needs.

Affordable housing supply

We are currently working to replace existing data processing methods and may make minor adjustments to the methodology – which will be documented in the accompanying technical note.

Local authority housing statistics

The collection is reviewed each year with data providers and stakeholders to ensure that questions continue to meet user needs. This often results in changes to questions to meet evolving needs.

Social housing sales and demolitions

No major development planned.

Right to Buy sales and replacements

Due to recent changes to the Right to Buy policy, we are reviewing how these statistics are collected and published. Any significant proposed changes will be consulted on.

Local authority stock condition modelling

Continued review of the degree to which we can quantify and use uncertainty to form conclusions about differences between local authorities and over time. Exploration into housing quality metrics in addition to the existing Decent Homes Standard, Category 1 hazards and the presence of damp.

Leasehold dwellings

Review and respond to user feedback on the addition of the leasehold term length remaining to the dwelling statistics. Explore options for improving the match rate between properties surveyed as part of the English Housing Survey and the HM Land Registry title records database.

Traveller caravan count

Following the department’s public consultation on the count in November/December 2025 and the publication of the government response in April 2026, we are working to implement the remaining changes:

• exploring options for collecting data on unauthorised sites in a format that provides more meaningful insight
• publishing a baseline table presenting the most up-to-date site-level information available for socially rented sites for all authorities, updating this at appropriate intervals

Local government finance

Council tax

For 2026-27 our focus is on developing a multi-year time series dataset for the council tax base which we plan to release with an accompanying dashboard. We are also in the early stages of exploring whether household level council tax data collected by the Office for National Statistics could be used to support the council tax base statistics.

Local authority capital expenditure, receipts and financing

No major developments planned, but we will continue to review in light of user needs and feedback.

Local authority revenue expenditure and financing

For 2026-27 our focus is on incorporating additional recharges data into the statistics. Additionally, we are reviewing the content and format of the statistical release.

Local government pension scheme

No major developments planned, but we will continue to review in light of user needs and feedback.

National non-domestic rates collected by councils

For 2026-27 our focus is on updating the data collection and statistics to meet stakeholder needs following the Business Rates Retention reset.

Planning and land use

Land use and Land use change

These statistics have not been published since 2022 due to a change in data source. We are expecting to publish a public consultation on relaunching all three series (land use stock, new residential addresses, hectarage) shortly, and resume publication by the end of the 2026, beginning with working through the backlog of releases up to the present day.

As part of this revamp, we will look to make improvements to the series wherever possible, in consultation with stakeholders and the OSR, and will also seek to implement the recommendations from the OSR’s previous compliance review in 2020, some of which were not possible to address using the previous data and methodology.

Planning applications in England

We will continue close working with the Planning Inspectorate to streamline the process of quality assuring and amending case-level planning appeals data, as used in some live tables.

We will continue exploring the opportunities that the mandating of data standards under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 provides for streamlining existing data collection processes and the publication of geographically referenced application-level data.

Local authority Green Belt statistics for England

We will continue to explore whether the annual Green Belt return might be used to collect data from local authorities on land identified as grey belt in the process of producing and updating Local Plans.

Other

MHCLG Enabled spend statistics

In future iterations, we will continue to explore how we can improve these statistics for users and their production.

Our focus will be on integrating user and stakeholder feedback to refine reporting and methods, investigating potential new data sources to enrich the dataset, where they are identified as providing beneficial value, and exploring opportunities for more efficient report generating.

We will also aim to streamline data collection processes where possible.

Community and Engagement Survey (CES)

Although a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) led publication, MHCLG work with DCMS on survey development and have boosted to provide local authority-level estimates. The data collected are used for local growth fund evaluation and policy development for key MHCLG programmes such as the Pride in Place Programme.

Selected updates from MHCLG’s Arm’s Length Bodies

Tenant satisfaction measures

The publication is based on data collected by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) for the active regulation of registered providers of social housing.

These statistics are a growing body of information about tenant experiences and landlord performance. With three years of data we are beginning to explore trends within the publication for 2027. As successive years of data become available, this will support more meaningful analysis and comparison over time. Any feedback received in year is addressed (where possible) in future publications.

Registered provider social housing stock and rents in England

The publication is based on data collected by RSH for the active regulation of registered providers of social housing.

The collection is reviewed each year to ensure that questions continue to meet the regulatory needs. This often results in changes to questions to meet evolving requirements and the resultant data collected is published. Any feedback received in year is addressed (where possible) in future publications.

Work is ongoing to review publication of data, with improvements to dashboard and table publication being considered to improve flexibly of data use and improve accessibility.

Fire safety remediation

The publication is based on data collected by RSH for the active regulation of registered providers of social housing.

This collection is currently under review for frequency and content to ensure the burden of data collection is proportionate to our regulatory requirements. Any feedback received is addressed (where possible) in future publications.

Annex: MHCLG Official Statistics regular publications

List correct as at August 2026.

Deprivation

Series	Publication frequency	Approx timing
Statutory Homelessness Statistics	Quarterly	April-June 2026 data due in October (TBC)
Statutory Homelessness Statistics	Annual	Financial year 2025-26 data due in November (TBC)
Rough sleeping snapshot in England	Annual	February
English Indices of Deprivation	Approximately every 3-5 years	TBC
English Index of Multiple Deprivation	Approximately every 3-5 years	TBC

Fire

Series	Publication frequency	Approx timing
Building Safety Remediation (MI that voluntarily applies to the COP)	Monthly	Last Wednesday of the month
Fire and Rescue Incident Statistics	Quarterly	April, July, October, January
Detailed analysis of fires and response times to fires	Annual	August
Fire prevention and protection statistics	Annual	September
Detailed analysis of non-fire incidents	Annual	September
Fire workforce and pension statistics	Annual	November/December

Housing

Series	Publication frequency	Approx timing
Energy efficiency characteristics of new dwellings	Quarterly	Within 6 weeks after the end of each quarter
Energy Performance of Buildings Certificates	Quarterly	Final Thursday of the month after end of each quarter
Housing supply: indicators of new supply	Quarterly	March, June, September, January
Dwelling Stock	Annual	May
English Housing Survey – Local Authority Stock Condition Modelling	Annual	May
Leasehold Dwellings Estimate	Annual	May
English Housing Survey – Annual Reports	Annual	May and July
Right to Buy sales and replacements	Annual	July/August
Housing supply: net additional dwellings	Annual	November
Affordable Housing Supply	Annual, with scheduled revisions for tables	November, following June for revisions
Social Housing Sales and Demolitions	Annual, with scheduled revisions for tables	January/February, following June for revisions
Local Authority Housing Statistics (dataset only)	Annual, with scheduled revisions	November to February, following June for revisions
Social Housing Lettings	Annual	Winter
English Housing Survey – Headline Reports	Annual	December and January
Live 1012 (Homes England and Greater London Authority delivery of Affordable Housing)	Biannual	December and June
English Private Landlord Survey	Approx. every 2 years	Autumn/Winter

Local government finance

Series	Publication frequency	Approx timing
Receipts of council tax and national non-domestic rates	Quarterly	February, June, August, November
Local authority capital expenditure and receipts	Quarterly	February, June, August, November
Local authority borrowing and investments	Quarterly	February, June, August, November
Quarterly revenue update	Quarterly	March, September, December
National non-domestic rates collected by councils in England, forecast.	Annual	February
Council tax levels set by local authorities	Annual	March
Council tax levels for town and parish councils	Annual	May
Local authority revenue expenditure and financing, budget	Annual	June
Local authority capital expenditure and receipts in provisional outturn and forecast	Annual	June
Collection rates for council tax and non-domestic rates	Annual	June
Local government financial statistics England (compendium)	Annual	June
Local authority exit payments	Annual	July
National non-domestic rates collected by councils in England outturn	Annual	July
Local authority revenue expenditure and financing, Outturn (first release)	Annual	September
Local government pension scheme funds for England and Wales	Annual	October
Council Tax Base	Annual	November
Local authority capital expenditure and receipts in England: final outturn	Annual	November
Local authority revenue expenditure and financing, Outturn (second release)	Annual	December

Planning and land use

Series	Publication frequency	Approx timing
Planning applications in England	Quarterly	March, June, September, December
Local authority Green Belt statistics for England	Annual	October
Traveller Caravan Count	Annual	June
Land Use Stock	Annual	Subject to consultation
Land Use Change: New Residential Addresses	Annual	Subject to consultation
Land Use Change: Hectarage	Triennial	Subject to consultation

Other

Series	Publication frequency	Approx timing
MHCLG Enabled Spend Statistics	Annual	March

Statistics from MHCLG’s Arm’s Length Bodies

List correct as at August 2026.

Series	Publication frequency	Approx timing
Planning Inspectorate	Quarterly	April, July, October, January
Planning Inspectorate Ministerial Measures	Quarterly	February, May, August, November
Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs)	Annually	November
Registered provider social housing stock and rents in England	Annually	October
Fire Safety Remediation	Quarterly	June, September, December, March (NB frequency under review, likely to be June and December for 2027)