Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
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 commission an assessment of the impact of council tax levels on the cost of living for average households.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to my answer provided on 11 February to Question UIN 110405. Final council tax referendum principles were published as part of the final settlement and are available here.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
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 28 January 2026 to Questions 107021 on Housing: Asylum, if he will publish any prospectus and bidding document given to local authorities in relation to the new asylum accommodation programmes and associated pilots.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Details of the MHCLG asylum accommodation programme have not yet been finalised and no prospectus has been provided to local authorities.
The MHCLG fund is distinct from Home Office-led reforms to the asylum estate.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) the GLA levy and (b) higher Rateable Values from the 2026 revaluation on the business rate bills of pubs in London.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt. Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111143 on 12 February 2026.
Pubs in the Greater London Authority area seeing significant changes in their business rates bill as a result of the revaluation will receive support through the £4.3 billion business rates package announced at the Budget. They will also be eligible to receive the 15% Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief in 2026/27 if they meet the eligibility criteria. Further information on this relief can be found here.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the council tax referendum policy decision for the six councils with no thresholds was subject to an equality impact assessment.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We have considered the equalities impacts of the proposals and decisions in the multi-year Settlement across the period 2026-27 to 2028-29, including the council tax referendum policy decision for the six councils with no thresholds.
Councils are responsible for deciding the level of their council tax and considering the inequalities impacts that may arise, including from additional flexibilities in referendum policy. Council tax increases may enable local authorities to provide better services, but may have a negative impact on any taxpayer struggling to pay their bill. Councils have tools to mitigate the impact, including in relation to equalities, for example, through a council tax support scheme.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 20 January 2026 to Question 105388 on Councillors: Vetting, whether she is considering options for criminal record checks for elected representatives other than councillors.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given Question UIN 105388 on 20 January 2026 which answered this question in full. This remains our current position.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether any council elections will be (a) delayed and (b) cancelled in May 2027.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government remains committed to the indicative timetable for local government reorganisation set out in July, with elections to the new councils scheduled for May 2027.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the UK anti-corruption strategy 2025, CP 1454, of December 2025, para 88, what is the separate agreement relating to (a) the Code of Conduct and (b) Independent Oversight on local government standards.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government published its response to the consultation “Strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England” in November 2025. The response sets out the Government’s intention to introduce measures including a mandatory Code of Conduct for councillors and strengthened oversight of the local government standards regime.
We intend to legislate on local government standards reforms when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
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 5 February 2026 to Question 108217 on Independent Review into Civil Unrest in Leicester, if he will publish the report.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt. Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 87636 on 11 November 2025.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
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 11 February 2026 to Question 111141 on Local Government Finance, whether any of the £200 million of funding in 2026-28 has been re-allocated to other programmes.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt. Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 4 December 2025 (HCWS1128), which confirmed that the 6 areas on the Devolution Priority Programme would each receive a proportion of their investment fund 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.
As a result - and per the standard procedures for government Departments - the remaining funding will be re-allocated, in this case for other local growth priorities.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many meetings (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with representatives of the hospitality and tourism industry and businesses likely to be impacted by an overnight visitor levy since the 2024 General Election; and how many such meetings took place (i) before the launch of the consultation on 26 November 2025 and (ii) since that date.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 118044 on 10 March 2026.