Current Government Consultations - September 2025

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

Industrial emissions: modernising environmental permitting – Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Defra is seeking views on proposed reforms to environmental permitting for industry.

The proposed reforms will support the government’s missions and priorities on growth, clean energy, health, the circular economy and environmental improvement.

There are proposals about:

• enabling innovation and encouraging new technologies and techniques
• agile standards – a rapid, predictable and integrated approach to standard setting
• proportionate regulation and coherence in the environmental permitting framework
• regulator effectiveness and efficiency
• creating a transparent environmental permitting framework

This consultation closes on 21 October 2025.

Industrial emissions: modernising environmental permitting - GOV.UK

Future of Post Office – Department for Business & Trade

This is a public consultation that seeks views on the future of the Post Office, from the services it provides, how government modernise and strengthen the network, through to how they change the culture and the way in which the Post Office is managed.

Responses to this consultation will be used to understand what customers, communities and postmasters would like to see from a modern Post Office, to help shape the company’s future.

This consultation closes on 6 October 2025.

Green Paper: Future of Post Office - GOV.UK

Consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

The consultation aims to update the Decent Homes Standard which currently applies to social housing. The new standard will also apply to privately rented housing.

Government state: “Every tenant deserves a home that is safe, warm, and decent. The reformed Decent Homes Standard will set out clearly what tenants should expect from their landlords and when it will be implemented.”

This consultation closes on 10 September 2025.

Consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes - GOV.UK

Improving the Energy Efficiency of Socially Rented Homes in England – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

??This consultation seeks views on government’s proposal to set a minimum energy efficiency standard (MEES) for socially rented homes.

?Government state: “This consultation is an important step in ensuring that every tenant has a decent, warm and comfortable home. We are considering options to raise energy efficiency standards in the domestic social rented sector?to make homes easier to heat, tackling fuel poverty and lowering carbon emissions. 

“Socially rented homes are not currently required to meet a minimum EPC standard and current requirements are roughly equivalent to an EPC ‘F’ rating. We propose setting the standard at EPC C or equivalent by 2030. This mirrors proposals to raise standards in the private rented sector, set out within a recently closed consultation Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes: 2025 update.”

This consultation closes on 10 September 2025.

??Improving the Energy Efficiency of Socially Rented Homes in England - GOV.UK

Changing the way government allocates Disabled Facilities Grant funding to local authorities in England – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

Government are seeking views on proposals to change the way government allocates funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to local authorities in England.

Government has concluded a review of the way they allocate DFG funding to local authorities in England. This follows a 2018 independent review of the DFG. It recommended that the way government allocates funding to local authorities should be updated.

They are now consulting on a new approach that will:

• better support local authorities to meet their statutory duty to provide adaptations
• ensure funding is better aligned with local demand

This consultation closes on 16 September 2025.

Changing the way government allocates Disabled Facilities Grant funding to local authorities in England - GOV.UK

Modernising and improving the administration of council tax – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

Government are seeking views on the administration of council tax including:

• changing the ways council tax is billed, collected and enforced
• modernising the support available in the system
• supporting councils to improve efficiency

Taken together, these changes aim to create a fairer and more efficient system for taxpayers and local authorities.

The consultation contains firm policy proposals to improve the system and call for evidence questions to inform future policy.

This consultation closes on 12 September 2025.

Modernising and improving the administration of council tax - GOV.UK

Climate-related transition plan requirements – Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

The government committed to mandating “UK-regulated financial institutions (including banks, asset managers, pension funds and insurers) and FTSE 100 companies to develop and implement credible transition plans that align with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement”.

This consultation seeks views on how the government should take forward this commitment in a way that:

• supports an orderly transition in line with global climate goals
• enhances transparency for investors and promotes efficient capital allocation
• supports companies in capturing the opportunities from the global net zero transition
• supports the growth of the UK’s financial services industry by ensuring its sustainable finance framework is internationally competitive and maintains the UK’s status as a global financial hub.?

This consultation closes on 17 September 2025.

Climate-related transition plan requirements - GOV.UK