Found: App.Cas 473 per Lord Selborne at pg 478. 4 Clauses 73 of and Schedule 30 to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: App.Cas 473 per Lord Selborne at pg 478. 4 Clauses 73 of and Schedule 30 to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: Through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, the Government will introduce a strong

Found: at scale. 20.The possibility of a community infrastructure levy from the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: expects that more areas will consider adopting CIL following Royal Assent to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: expects that more areas will consider adopting CIL following Royal Assent to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: expects that more areas will consider adopting CIL following Royal Assent to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: expects that more areas will consider adopting CIL following Royal Assent to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: expects that more areas will consider adopting CIL following Royal Assent to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: expects that more areas will consider adopting CIL following Royal Assent to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: British Railways as set out in the Devolution White Paper is absent from the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill gives with one hand but takes with the other.

Found: Delivering integration through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill The English Devolution

Found: the creation of Great British Railways (GBR), the Bus Services Bill and the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: taxi and private hire vehicles (PHVs) licences through an amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: In the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, we are taking the power to set national minimum

Found: Furthermore, the enhanced Community Right to Buy provision set out in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: is a bit off the pace with the wider push for devolution that we saw in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: progress being made on the reform of local audit, including provisions in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: establishing a new statutory public body, the Local Audit Office, through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: really forward-thinking on some of these things, at the moment there is the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: We recommend that the Government amends the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to make

Found: GM also welcomes the inclusion of a ‘right to request’ mechanism in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: transport systems with the introduction of shared micromobility licencing in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: Medway requests that the Railways Bill will highlight the significant role the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: Given the measures contained within the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill currently

Found: Given the measures contained within the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill currently in

Found: GM also welcomes the inclusion of a ‘right to request’ mechanism in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: transport systems with the introduction of shared micromobility licencing in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: Medway requests that the Railways Bill will highlight the significant role the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: As you are aware, through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill we are introducing a

Found: will you support community enterprises to make use of the new powers in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish guidance for local authorities on the composition of Neighbourhood Area Committees.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill brings a new requirement for local authorities to make appropriate governance arrangements for any neighbourhood area. The government will publish guidance to support the local authorities in the implementation of this policy in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is taking steps to change the licensing of taxis in the context of the Casey Review.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Government response to Baroness Casey’s report committed to legislate to tackle the inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill seeks a power for the Secretary of State to set national minimum standards for taxi and PHV licensing. The power was approved by the House of Commons, and the Bill is now being considered by the House of Lords.

If passed, national minimum standards would enable government to set robust standards for licensing right across England, to keep vulnerable children and, indeed, all members of the public safe, wherever they live or travel. This is an important first step and the Department continues to consider further options for reform. The Government is consulting on making all local transport authorities responsible for taxi and PHV licensing. Administering licensing across larger areas would further increase consistency in licensing and enable better resourced authorities to make better use of their enforcement powers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help address safety risks from the abandonment of e-bikes on pavements.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We understand that e-bikes parked obstructively on pavements are not just an inconvenience but a real safety risk, particularly for vulnerable pavement users.

That is why the licensing regime for shared cycle schemes which we are bringing forward through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will create a legal requirement for shared e-cycle schemes to be licensed by local leaders and will include minimum standard conditions to ensure a national baseline of safety. This will provide local leaders with greater powers to combat street clutter and misuse of shared vehicles.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the investigation by London Centric into Lime Bike accidents.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Road safety is a top priority for this Government. That is why the licensing regime for shared cycle schemes which we are bringing forward through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will include minimum standard conditions to ensure a national baseline of safety.

We will consult in depth before implementing licensing, with safety being a core consideration. Licence conditions could include reporting and maintenance requirements.

Ministers and officials engage regularly with shared cycle operators, local authorities, and other groups to understand the challenges and opportunities these schemes can present.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to monitor the maintenance of Lime Bikes by rental companies.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Road safety is a top priority for this Government. That is why the licensing regime for shared cycle schemes which we are bringing forward through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will include minimum standard conditions to ensure a national baseline of safety.

We will consult in depth before implementing licensing, with safety being a core consideration. Licence conditions could include reporting and maintenance requirements.

Ministers and officials engage regularly with shared cycle operators, local authorities, and other groups to understand the challenges and opportunities these schemes can present.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of safe evening transport for women in (a) rural areas and (b) Langley Vale.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department for Transport is committed to making the transport network safer for everyone, including women and girls, whenever and wherever they are travelling. As part of the Government’s aims to reduce Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) by half over the next decade, the Department has an ambitious, evidence-based programme of work to help tackle VAWG on transport. This includes measures in the Bus Services Act 2025 such as training on how to recognise and respond to incidents of criminal and antisocial behaviour (ASB).

We know that women and girls are more likely than men to avoid travelling alone when it’s dark. The Department’s ‘Protected characteristics and public transport perceptions and safety’ research, published in 2023, also found that women were more concerned than men about the risk of violence regardless of the time of day. People living in rural areas were more likely to say they felt safe, albeit by a relatively small margin.

We are continuing to build our evidence base to better understand the prevalence of VAWG and ASB across the transport network so we can better target interventions. In the meantime, the Department will continue to work across government and with partners, including the British Transport Police (BTP), the transport industry and local authorities to ensure that everyone feels and is safe when travelling.

In relation to taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs), the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is seeking a power to set in regulations national minimum standards for taxi and PHV licensing. The power was approved by the House of Commons at Report Stage, and the Bill is now being considered by the House of Lords. If passed, this would enable government to set robust standards for licensing right across England, to keep women and girls and, indeed, all members of the public safe, wherever they live or travel.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) protections and (b) guidance his Department will provide to mayoral candidates for new unitary authorities in Surrey.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

There are currently no local authority mayoralties operating in Surrey, and no mayoral elections are planned for the new unitary councils. Under provisions in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, any new council created through local government reorganisation will adopt the leader and cabinet model of governance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether future police force boundaries will be aligned with regional mayoral boundaries.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government has committed in its English Devolution White Paper to transfer policing functions to Mayors of Strategic Authorities wherever boundaries of the mayoral and policing areas align, by default, subject to Royal Assent to provisions in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

This Government will abolish PCCs across England and Wales at the end of their term in 2028 and police governance functions will be transferred to mayors wherever possible, or to elected council leaders where it is not.

The Home Secretary has an ambitious police reform agenda, which will include measures to drive down waste and cut bureaucracy so that the police can focus on issues that matter to the public and cut crime in our communities. Further detail will be set out in the Police Reform White Paper, which is due to be published in early 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps does she plan to take to amend the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 to reflect the absorption of the Police and Crime Commissioner role into that of metro mayors.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government committed in the English Devolution White Paper to transfer Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) functions to mayors of strategic authorities by default, wherever possible.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, currently before Parliament, contains provisions that amend relevant primary legislation, including the Police Reform and Social Responsibility 2011 Act, to achieve this aim. Subject to the Bill receiving Royal Assent, transfers of functions to mayors will take place in areas where the boundaries of the mayoral strategic authority and policing area align, at a date set by the Secretary of State by Order.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his planned timetable is for introducing a Mayoral Combined Authority or Authorities for Devon, for Cornwall, or for Devon and Cornwall.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Devon and Torbay already benefit from devolution as a Combined County Authority and will be designated as a Foundation Strategic Authority once the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill becomes law. Further devolution in the South West will be announced in due course, following local conversations and ministerial decisions.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what meetings ministers have had with members of the Local Government Association to discuss the provisions of paragraph 6 of Schedule 27 to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Schedule 27 of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (the Bill) makes a small, specific and practical change to the publication of local authority governance changes. It removes the statutory requirement for councils to publish governance changes in printed newspapers but crucially does not prevent them from doing so if they consider that is the best way to inform their local residents.

In practice this change will affect only a very small number of councils. Over 80% of councils already operate the leader-and-cabinet model of governance. The Bill does not make changes to public notices more generally, for example in relation to planning.

Councils will be able to consider the most effective means to bring changes in local governance arrangements to the attention of the public. They could do this through local newspapers, digital platforms, council websites, or other local channels.

Throughout the passage of the Bill the government has and will continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government how the provisions of paragraph 6 of Schedule 27 to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will affect public awareness of the activities of local authorities.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Schedule 27 of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (the Bill) makes a small, specific and practical change to the publication of local authority governance changes. It removes the statutory requirement for councils to publish governance changes in printed newspapers but crucially does not prevent them from doing so if they consider that is the best way to inform their local residents.

In practice this change will affect only a very small number of councils. Over 80% of councils already operate the leader-and-cabinet model of governance. The Bill does not make changes to public notices more generally, for example in relation to planning.

Councils will be able to consider the most effective means to bring changes in local governance arrangements to the attention of the public. They could do this through local newspapers, digital platforms, council websites, or other local channels.

Throughout the passage of the Bill the government has and will continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of paragraph 6 of Schedule 27 to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill on the long-term sustainability of local and regional newspapers.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Schedule 27 of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (the Bill) makes a small, specific and practical change to the publication of local authority governance changes. It removes the statutory requirement for councils to publish governance changes in printed newspapers but crucially does not prevent them from doing so if they consider that is the best way to inform their local residents.

In practice this change will affect only a very small number of councils. Over 80% of councils already operate the leader-and-cabinet model of governance. The Bill does not make changes to public notices more generally, for example in relation to planning.

Councils will be able to consider the most effective means to bring changes in local governance arrangements to the attention of the public. They could do this through local newspapers, digital platforms, council websites, or other local channels.

Throughout the passage of the Bill the government has and will continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 Oct 2025 to Question 81532 on Taxis: Licensing, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the powers available to local licensing authorities for ensuring the effective enforcement of private-hire vehicles that are licensed in one authority but predominantly operate in another.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department for Transport is legislating to tackle inconsistent standards of taxi and private hire vehicle licensing. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill would enable the setting of national minimum standards in licensing.

We are considering further options including in relation to out of area working and enforcement powers. In the interim, as recommended in the Department’s guidance to licensing authorities in England, enforcement officers should be jointly authorised by authorities where there is a need. The guidance also highlights that licensing authorities can seek further powers from their local police chief constables under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with councils in the devolution priority programme areas on securing investment ahead of the delayed mayoral elections.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The English Devolution White Paper sets out how Local Growth Plans will galvanise action and investment, including through setting out a pipeline of investment opportunities for strategic authorities. Adopting a Local Growth Plan will be a duty conferred on combined authorities as soon as the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill receives Royal Assent, so we encourage all councils in the Devolution Priority Programme to use the guidance we’ve provided to develop their growth plans. In the interim period between the establishment of the Mayoral Strategic Authorities in the new year and inaugural mayoral elections, we will provide the authorities with a portion of their investment funds to ensure they can start delivering on key local priorities and deliver the benefits of devolution on the ground ahead of the Mayors taking office.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77537 on Hotels: Taxation, and with reference to the written statement of 25 November 2025 on Devolution and Growth, HCWS1097, on what basis this change in policy was made.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government keeps all tax policy under review. The government’s number one mission is to kickstart economic growth, and devolving fiscal powers is critical to achieving this.

Introducing a visitor levy provides Mayors with a new lever to both raise and reinvest revenue locally. English Mayors have come together to ask for an overnight stay levy through the “right to request”. The government has considered these representations from Mayors and the three amendments proposed by Wera Hobhouse MP, Paula Barker MP and Alex Mayer MP, to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill in reaching this position. A Written Ministerial Statement setting out this position was published on 25 November.

A visitor levy also responds to the call from Mayors for further fiscal devolution.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the pull and push factors driving taxi license holders from obtaining licenses out of their area of residence and operation, such as to Wolverhampton Council.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Ministers and officials regularly engage with the taxi and private hire vehicle sector. Differing licensing requirements, processing times and costs are often cited as reasons why licences are sought from authorities other than that in which the applicants intend to work.

Though there is a high degree of consistency in requirements relating to safety, for example all licensing authorities in England require an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service and barred lists check for drivers, the Government is taking action to ensure even greater consistency in licensing.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill seeks to introduce powers to set national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing. If passed, national minimum standards would enable government to set robust standards for licensing across England, to keep vulnerable children and, indeed, all members of the public safe, wherever they live or travel. It would also help reduce the variability of licensing standards across the country, which is a significant factor in inducing out-of-area working.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, as a result of the changes in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, how many extra powers will be given to Sheffield City Council; and how many powers currently by Sheffield City Council be transferred to South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will establish ‘Strategic Authorities’ to lead in our regions. Strategic authorities will not replace councils. Strategic authorities will be responsible for unlocking investment, infrastructure and economic growth across larger geographies, while local authorities will continue to be responsible for the critical daily services residents rely on and improving local neighbourhoods.

Only one power will be transferred to South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority from its constituent councils via the Bill and only in specific circumstances. The Authority will take on responsibility for preparing reports assessing local road traffic levels and forecasting their growth, but only in relation to roads that are part of the Authority’s Key Route Network.

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority will also be given other powers, including over housing, land acquisition, and economic development which it will exercise concurrently with its constituent councils. As a constituent member of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, Sheffield City Council will have a key role in the decision-making about how most of these powers are used. Full detail of which powers will be held by Strategic Authorities were published alongside the Bill in Devolution Framework Explainers.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will extend Community Right to Buy powers to include environmental assets such as peat bogs, heathland, meadows, woods and rivers.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The new community right to buy, which we are introducing through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, will give communities stronger powers to take ownership of assets that are important to them.

Communities will already be able to nominate a range of environmental assets that further their social or economic wellbeing through the current provisions in this Bill. The list of such assets is extensive, from allotments and playing fields to woodlands and farms. Statutory guidance will be clear that local authorities must accept nominations for environmental assets that meet the criteria.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2025 to question 85843, whether she is considering requiring drivers to register with their home local authority validated by checking council tax, electoral roll and credit reference data.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill seeks to introduce powers to set national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing. If passed, national minimum standards would enable government to set robust standards for licensing across England, to keep all members of the public safe, wherever they live or travel. It would also help reduce the variability of licensing standards across the country, which is a significant factor in inducing drivers to licence with an authority other than that in which they intend to work.

The Department continues to consider further options for reform, including out-of-area working and enforcement. We need to ensure that taxis and PHVs are able to work in a way that facilitates the journeys passengers want and need to make, in a consistently safe way, whilst achieving the best overall outcomes for passenger safety.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed ban on upwards only rent reviews on rents of leased Government offices; and what the square footage is of the office property occupied by the Government on commercial leases.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

According to the Government’s 2023–24 Government Estate Annual Data publication, the Government occupies around 1.9 million square metres (approximately 20.5 million square feet) of leasehold office space across the central government estate. The Government has assessed the impact of banning upwards only rent reviews and published this in an Impact Assessment for the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the provision in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to remove public notices in local papers concerning changes to local authority governance arrangements on local democratic engagement.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Schedule 25 of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill makes provision to amend statutory notice requirements under the Local Government Act 2000, concerning changes to local authority governance arrangements.

In practice, this change will affect only a very small number of councils. Over 80% of councils already operate the leader and cabinet model of governance and provisions in the Bill will limit future changes to local authority governance.

The provision does not prevent local authorities from publishing notices in printed newspapers where this is considered the most appropriate way to inform residents. Instead, local authorities will be able to choose the most suitable communication channels for their area, including local newspapers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to chapter 7 and recommendation 11 of Baroness Casey's independent report entitled National audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, published on 16 June 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of taxi and private hire vehicle drivers operating outside of the local authority in which they are licensed on the level of risk of child sexual exploitation; what steps her Department has taken to tackle taxi and private hire vehicle drivers operating outside of the local authority in which they are licensed; and if she will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent taxi and private hire vehicle drivers from operating predominantly outside of the local authority in which they are licensed.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department has been actively looking at safeguarding and regulatory reform in relation to taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs). Baroness Casey’s National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse added valuable evidence to this ongoing work.

The English Devolution White Paper, published in December last year, committed to consult on making all Local Transport Authorities, including Strategic Authorities, responsible for taxi and PHV licensing. Administering taxi and PHV licensing over larger areas could increase consistency and efficiency in taxi and PHV licensing across England, reduce out-of-area working and better match licensing revenue and compliance and enforcement burdens. The consultation will be launched soon.

The Government response to Baroness Casey’s National Audit committed to legislate to address the important issues raised, tackling the inconsistent standards of taxi and PHV driver licensing.

On Tuesday 18 November, the Government tabled an amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to seek a power for the Secretary of State to set in regulations national minimum standards for taxi and PHV licensing. These standards would be subject to consultation and would be primarily focused on passenger safety and accessibility. This would mean that wherever the public live or travel any taxi or PHV service they use would be subject to robust standards. The power was approved by the Commons at Report Stage and the Bill will now move to the Lords.

The Department continues to consider further options for reform, including out-of-area working and enforcement. We need to ensure that taxis and PHVs are able to work in a way that facilitates the journeys passengers want and need to make, in a consistently safe way, whilst achieving the best overall outcomes for passenger safety.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, a) what steps her Department is taking to ensure consistent national safeguarding standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, including (i) DBS checks, (ii) knowledge and safeguarding tests and (iii) the use of in-vehicle CCTV; b) whether her Department collects data on (i) the number of licences issued by each authority, (ii) the proportion issued to drivers residing outside that authority area, and (iii) the number of drivers operating predominantly beyond the area where they are licensed; and c) what assessment her Department has made of the approach taken by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council in retrospectively applying enhanced licensing standards, and whether it plans to encourage or mandate similar practices nationally.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

On Tuesday 18 November, the Government tabled an amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to seek a power for the Secretary of State to set in regulations the national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing. These standards would be subject to consultation and would be primarily focused on passenger safety and accessibility. This would mean that wherever they are travelling in England, passengers can be reassured that the drivers of any taxi or private hire vehicle service they are using are subject to robust safeguarding standards. If agreed by Parliament, it would be possible for national standards to be applied to existing licence holders.

The Department has published data about the number of licences issued by each licensing authority. This can be viewed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/taxi-and-private-hire-vehicle-statistics-england-2024

The Department does not collect data on where licensed taxi or private hire vehicle drivers reside or on the number of taxi or private hire vehicle journeys that take place outside of the area in which the drivers are licensed. Licensing authorities may hold this information.

The Department recognises the good work carried out by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council following the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse to improve their taxi and private hire vehicle licensing functions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department last met (a) the Mayor of Greater Manchester, (b) combined authorities and (c) other local authorities to discuss potential reforms to taxi licensing across local authority boundaries; when her Department last met (i) local authority's children’s services, (ii) police forces and (iii) local safeguarding partnerships to discuss the risks identified in chapter 7 of Baroness Casey's independent report entitled National audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, published on 16 June 2025; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of the Mayor of Greater Manchester's campaign entitled Backing our taxis: local, licensed, trusted on public safety and out-of-area licensing.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Department for Transport Ministers and officials meet regularly with a range of stakeholders and discuss various issues relating to taxi and private hire vehicle licensing policy.

The Department is aware of the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s campaign entitled “Backing our taxis: local, licensed, trusted”.

The public should be safe in taxis and private hire vehicles regardless of where they live or travel. The Government has tabled an amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill that would enable national minimum standards to be set for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing. National minimum standards would enable Government to set a strong baseline for licensing right across England, to keep vulnerable children and indeed all members of the public safe, wherever they live or travel.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the readiness of the West Midlands Combined Authority to assume policing governance responsibilities from the Police and Crime Commissioner; and what estimate she has made of the (a) costs of that transfer and (b) projected long-term annual savings from the merger.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government has committed in its English Devolution White Paper to transfer policing functions to Mayors of Strategic Authorities wherever boundaries of the mayoral and policing areas align, by default. Subject to Royal Assent to provisions in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, it is anticipated that the transfer of Police and Crime Commissioner functions to the Mayor of West Midlands would happen by May 2028; the end of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s term of office and at the next election for the Mayor.

There are no costs to the Home Office in transferring PCC functions to the Mayor of an existing Mayoral Combined Authority. As has previously been the case for transfer of policing functions to mayors, the cost of local implementation will be expected to be met locally.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her planned timetable is for transferring Police and Crime Commissioner functions to the Mayor of the West Midlands.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government has committed in its English Devolution White Paper to transfer policing functions to Mayors of Strategic Authorities wherever boundaries of the mayoral and policing areas align, by default. Subject to Royal Assent to provisions in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, it is anticipated that the transfer of Police and Crime Commissioner functions to the Mayor of West Midlands would happen by May 2028; the end of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s term of office and at the next election for the Mayor.

There are no costs to the Home Office in transferring PCC functions to the Mayor of an existing Mayoral Combined Authority. As has previously been the case for transfer of policing functions to mayors, the cost of local implementation will be expected to be met locally.

Found: Clause 34 of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill would give MSAs the power to establish

Found: ’ are expected to receive an integrated settlement.35 The Library briefing English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill: HL Bill 150 of 2024–26

Found: the government published the English Devolution White Paper and introduced the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: high streets include: Introducing a new community right to buy through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: Subject to Royal Assent, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill which is currently before

Found: Government 57 'English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill' The Fuel Poverty Strategy for England

Found: statutory responsibilities for improving health and health inequalities57 57 'English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: lead to genuine, tangible improvements with improved access to support. 57 'English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: Devolution White Paper, which are being put on a statutory footing through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: As a first step, we introduced an amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: expects that more areas will consider adopting CIL following Royal Assent to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: expects that more areas will consider adopting CIL following Royal Assent to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: prioritise child poverty through the new Outcomes for local government and the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: strategy require primary legislation and these measures are included in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: work to deliver our wider package of reform, primarily through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: including the establishment of the new Local Audit Office, are included in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: Putting the legislative framework in place The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: to legally designate Established Mayoral Authorities following the passage English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill​: Guidance

Found: English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill​: Devolution Framework Explainers

Found: English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill​: Devolution Framework Explainers

Found: English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill​: Devolution Framework Explainers

Found: English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill​: Devolution Framework Explainers

Found: English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill​: Devolution Framework Explainers

Found:

Found: The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will enable local governments across England

Found: Development Orders, which is proposed to be extended to all Mayors under the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: Separately, the government has tabled an amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will deepen devolution and support regional growth

Found: English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill publications.

Found: CONSSAHP2636001 Strategic Authority has the meaning set out in Part 1 of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: entitled "Finance"; Strategic Authority has the meaning set out in Part 1 of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Found: New measures in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will require shared cycle schemes

Found: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering and Lord Shipley regarding issues raised in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill