Asked by: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assurances he can provide that National Parks and National Landscapes will be fully considered in any proposals for an overnight visitor accommodation levy.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The precise design and scope of the overnight visitor levy power is still under development. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will rest with Mayors and be shaped through local consultation on its design and the impacts the levy may have, including on National Parks and National Landscapes.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leicester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the 2022 Leicester violence, Better Together: Understanding the 2022 Violence in Leicester, published on 23 February.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The report referred to is an independent one undertaken by the School of Oriental and African Studies. The government will not be commenting on the contents of this report. We are aware that there have been several reviews into the events in Leicester of 2022, including the Independent Leicester Review commissioned by the Conservative government in 2023. We hope that all of these pieces of work can be used and understood alongside one another to support the building of community cohesion in Leicester and across the UK.
Independent Leicester Review panel submitted their findings to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 1 July 2025. The government is reviewing the panel’s findings and recommendations and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Lord Pack (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 13 March (HL15001), whether the review of election documentation will be completed in time for any necessary changes to primary legislation to be incorporated in the Representation of the People Bill.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The planned review of election documentation will not be completed in time for any changes to be included in the Representation of the People Bill.
However, the Government is planning to consolidate existing legislation regarding election documentation using the powers from the bill. This will make it simpler for the Government to make improvements to the prescribed format and design of electoral documents through secondary legislation, including potential changes informed by the outcomes of the review.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce a new Parking (Code of Practice) Bill.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
No. The government is committed to raising standards across the private parking sector through the introduction of a new Code of Practice as required under the Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019. The government intends to lay the Code in autumn 2026.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has his Department made of the potential impact of local government reorganisation on future recruitment and retention of Trading Standards Officers.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Trading standards is a statutory local authority function, and councils are responsible for ensuring they are able to discharge their duties. During local government reorganisation, the expectation is staff employed by existing local authorities, such as Trading Standards Officers, will transfer to a new unitary council set up for the area.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
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 adequacy of building regulations in ensuring the quality, efficiency, and resilience of installed heat network systems.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Building Regulations set performance requirements for buildings, including buildings connected to heat networks, but they are not responsible for regulating the detailed design or operation of heat network systems themselves. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is also consulting on mandatory technical standards for heat networks, that include proposals to ensure new and existing heat networks are designed, built, and operated to a standard, that will deliver good outcomes for consumers.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding is available to leaseholders for cladding remediation works on buildings under 11 metres in height.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Funding is not currently available for buildings under 11 metres in height. However, the Department announced targeted funding for multi-occupied residential buildings under 11 metres in the Remediation Acceleration Plan update. This funding will be available in exceptional cases, where there are life-critical fire safety risks from cladding and no alternative route to funding.
Additional details about funding for exceptional cladding remediation in buildings below 11 metres in England will be shared by the Department in due course.
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 9 Match 2026, to Question 116479, on Elections: Proof of Identity, whether the cash withdrawal cards that will be accepted as identification will include reloadable, non-bank-account-linked payment cards.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the Representation of the People Bill 2026, which sets out the requirements that a card must meet in order to be accepted at the polling station – they must be a physical credit card, charge card, debit card or prepaid card; they must display the individual’s first name and last name, or first initial and last name; the card must be issued by a person who is regulated or authorised by either the Financial Conduct Authority or the Prudential Regulation Authority. It may be possible for a reloadable, non-bank-account-linked payment card to meet these criteria.
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 criteria the Electoral Commission uses to accredit election observers.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Electoral Commission operates independently of government. I would recommend that the Rt Hon. Member contacts them directly to discuss their approach to accrediting election observers.
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 9 March 2026, to Question 116479, on Elections: Proof of Identity, whether the cash withdrawal cards that will be accepted as identification will include reloadable, non-bank-account-linked payment cards.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 121736 on 27 March 2026.