Asked by: Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Conservative - Life peer)
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.
Asked by: Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Conservative - Life peer)
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.
Asked by: Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost to local authorities of complying with section 9KC, section 9MA and section 9MF of the Local Government Act 2000 in (1) 2022–23, (2) 2023–24, and (3) 2024–25.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
No formal assessment has been made of the costs to local authorities of complying with sections 9KC, 9MA, and 9MF of the Local Government Act 2000 for the years 2022-23, 2023-24, or 2024-25.
Where a local authority has decided to hold a referendum or pass a resolution in relation to its governance arrangements, the associated costs are a matter for the local authority.
Asked by: Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Conservative - Life peer)
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.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 the requirement for new safety documentation where existing reports are not accepted on leaseholders.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under the Building Assessment Certificate (BACs) process, Accountable Persons (APs) for higher-risk buildings must provide information about their building that demonstrates how they are managing building safety risks related to the spread of fire and structural failure. This is to ensure that accountable persons hold the information and documentation they need in order to be able to manage a building safely.
In many cases, APs will already hold and have access to documentation that shows how they are meeting these requirements. If existing reports demonstrate that the AP is managing safety risks effectively, they will be accepted as part of the BACs process. Only where necessary information is missing will APs have to take reasonable steps to collect it, which may include undertaking surveys and commissioning further reports.
To assist APs in understanding the requirements of the BACs regime, the Building Safety Regulator has produced online resources covering the BAC application and assessment process here.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to review the performance and efficiency of the planning appeals process under forthcoming reforms.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Planning Inspectorate's Strategic Plan commits the Agency to removing all casework backlogs and meeting all Ministerial targets, including those on relating to planning appeals, by 2027. The Inspectorate regularly publishes updates on its performance.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 a) the Intelligence and Security Committee report on Russia, HC 632, published on 21 July 2020, and b) the 2017-2019 Robert Mueller special counsel investigation in the United States, if he will instruct the relevant UK authorities to launch an investigation into whether UK elections have been affected by Kremlin-linked political interference.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government takes any attempts to intervene in democratic processes very seriously. It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect our democratic and electoral processes, including from foreign interference.
On 16th December, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced an independent review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics. Review findings will be delivered to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Security Minister by the end of March and will inform the forthcoming elections and democracy bill. This builds on the major reforms announced in the Elections Strategy in July, and the launch last month of the Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan to disrupt and deter spying from states.
The Government’s strategy for modern, secure and inclusive elections, published in July, sets out our plan to strengthen oversight of and safeguards against known and emerging threats, including foreign interference through covert political funding. We will deliver a robust and proportionate response to known risks, protecting the integrity of our system and reinforcing public trust in democracy.
This sits alongside the government’s robust toolkit of measures to investigate and disrupt the threat from foreign interference in UK politics. This includes the National Security Act 2023, the Defending Democracy Taskforce, which coordinates work to protect UK political parties, elected officials and the electoral infrastructure, and the Joint Election Security and Preparedness unit, which coordinates work across government to protect UK elections and referendums. However, as the tactics of foreign interference actors evolve, the Government is committed to ensuring our approach also evolves to effectively combat the threat.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the independent review into foreign financial interference in UK politics will consider donations to individual (a) candidates and (b) politicians in addition to donations to political parties.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Rycroft review into foreign financial interference in UK politics will involve an in-depth assessment of current financial and bribery related rules and safeguards that regulate political parties and political finance. Those rules apply to candidates for election and regulated donees (among other groups). The review will also offer recommendations to mitigate risks from foreign interference. However, given the review’s independence, we cannot pre-empt specifics of the ground it will cover, nor the recommendations it will make.
The terms of reference for the review can be found here.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the causes of homelessness in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Through our National Plan to End Homelessness the Government is putting prevention at the heart of public services, alongside with actions to address the root causes of homelessness through building more homes, reforming renters’ rights, and tackling poverty.
Local councils are at the front line of the response to homelessness and must lead the way in putting prevention at the core of their services. The Government has increased funding for homelessness services this year to over £1 billion, including a £50 million top-up to the Homelessness Prevention Grant announced on 11 December 2025. You can find allocations here.
We are also investing £3.5 billion in homelessness and rough sleeping services over the next three years, through more flexible multi-year funding arrangements that enable councils to invest more in prevention.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
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 levels of homelessness relative to (a) levels of affordability of rented accommodation and (b) rates of local housing allowance.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
A lack of affordable housing is a key driver of homelessness. This Government plan to deliver a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing, including with £39 billion funding for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
We recognise some private renters need support with their rent. That is why we will work across government to keep Local Housing Allowance rates under review in order to deliver on the government's priorities, including maintaining the long-term fiscal sustainability of the welfare system.