Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 his Department’s press release entitled Weekend voting and shopping centre polling stations to be trialled, published on 2 March 2026, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the flexible voting pilots taking place at the May 2026 local elections.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84647 on 31 October 2025.
In August 2025, local authorities were invited to apply to pilot a range of flexible voting methods at the May 2026 elections in England. Authorities were required to demonstrate a clear understanding of the pilot objectives, feasibility to deliver within the timeframe, appropriate resourcing and supplier management, proportionate contingency planning, and effective communication arrangements.
The Government is funding the costs of the flexible voting pilots. Final costs are not yet available.
As with all elections, responsibility for the manner, conduct and security of polls lies with the Returning Officer. Voting hubs, either on or in advance of the regular day of poll, will be subject to the same security and secrecy provisions as regular polling stations.
The Electoral Commission is responsible for carrying out an independent, statutory evaluation of the pilot schemes and will publish its findings.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 his Department’s press release entitled Weekend voting and shopping centre polling stations to be trialled, published on 2 March 2026, what turnout increase threshold his Department will use to assess the effectiveness of the flexible voting pilots.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84647 on 31 October 2025.
In August 2025, local authorities were invited to apply to pilot a range of flexible voting methods at the May 2026 elections in England. Authorities were required to demonstrate a clear understanding of the pilot objectives, feasibility to deliver within the timeframe, appropriate resourcing and supplier management, proportionate contingency planning, and effective communication arrangements.
The Government is funding the costs of the flexible voting pilots. Final costs are not yet available.
As with all elections, responsibility for the manner, conduct and security of polls lies with the Returning Officer. Voting hubs, either on or in advance of the regular day of poll, will be subject to the same security and secrecy provisions as regular polling stations.
The Electoral Commission is responsible for carrying out an independent, statutory evaluation of the pilot schemes and will publish its findings.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 his Department’s press release entitled Weekend voting and shopping centre polling stations to be trialled, published on 2 March 2026, what criteria were used to select local authorities for participation in the flexible voting pilot schemes.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84647 on 31 October 2025.
In August 2025, local authorities were invited to apply to pilot a range of flexible voting methods at the May 2026 elections in England. Authorities were required to demonstrate a clear understanding of the pilot objectives, feasibility to deliver within the timeframe, appropriate resourcing and supplier management, proportionate contingency planning, and effective communication arrangements.
The Government is funding the costs of the flexible voting pilots. Final costs are not yet available.
As with all elections, responsibility for the manner, conduct and security of polls lies with the Returning Officer. Voting hubs, either on or in advance of the regular day of poll, will be subject to the same security and secrecy provisions as regular polling stations.
The Electoral Commission is responsible for carrying out an independent, statutory evaluation of the pilot schemes and will publish its findings.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
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 take steps to help ensure that developers do not remove affordable housing when sites are deemed unviable.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure.
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to developer contributions and viability which seek to promote greater clarity on expected contributions at the plan-making stage, and reduce cases of unnecessary site-specific viability assessment by clarifying when it may be appropriate at the decision-making stage.
We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response 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, with reference to correspondence from his Department entitled Council tax information letter 2/2026: Carers disregard, local council tax support schemes and other matters, published on 18 February 2026, whether the higher income from the removal of the two child limit in Universal Credit and working-age Housing Benefit will be liable to reduce the amount of local council tax support for working age households.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities are responsible for designing and reviewing their council tax support schemes for working-age residents. This includes assessing income and eligibility. The referenced council tax information letter encourages local authorities to consider the interaction of their council tax support schemes with changes in the wider benefit system.
The government does not prescribe the requirements for working-age council tax support schemes. It is ultimately for local authorities to decide whether the higher income from the removal of the two-child limit in Universal Credit and working-age Housing Benefit will be liable to reduce the amount of local council tax support for working age households.
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 his plans to require enhanced due diligence for political donations, whether there will be a safe harbour provision, for following advice from the regulator.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Know Your Donor regime will introduce statutory guidance issued by the Electoral Commission, which will set out how recipients of donations may assess the relevant risk factors, the kinds of circumstances that may signal a heightened level of risk and the steps they may take to reduce that risk.
Following the Commission’s guidance will help recipients ensure they are conducting an appropriate level of risk assessment. Adhering to the guidance will therefore support parties and campaigners in demonstrating that they have taken reasonable steps when evaluating the permissibility and potential risk of donations.
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 make an assessment of the potential impact of local government reorganisation on the (a) services provided by, (b) responsibilities of and (c) parish precepts for council tax in (i) new and (ii) existing town and parish councils.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Town and parish councils are not in scope for local government reorganisation and will continue to operate as they do now. The power to create and restructure town and parish councils is devolved to principal local authorities, which can review and make changes to local governance arrangements through Community Governance Reviews. In doing so, they are expected to take the views of local people into account.
The Government expects town and parish councils – including new councils – to carefully consider the burden placed on taxpayers when setting their precepts. Areas considering the establishment of new town and parish councils should also think carefully about how these might be funded to avoid putting further pressure on local authority finances and/or new burdens on the taxpayer.
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 unitary local government restructuring in Surrey on the (a) number of town and parish councils and (b) band D parish precept charged by those councils.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Town and parish councils are not in scope for local government reorganisation and will continue to operate as they do now. The power to create and restructure town and parish councils is devolved to principal local authorities, which can review and make changes to local governance arrangements through Community Governance Reviews. In doing so, they are expected to take the views of local people into account.
The Government expects town and parish councils – including new councils – to carefully consider the burden placed on taxpayers when setting their precepts. Areas considering the establishment of new town and parish councils should also think carefully about how these might be funded to avoid putting further pressure on local authority finances and/or new burdens on the taxpayer.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 his Department’s press release entitled Weekend voting and shopping centre polling stations to be trialled, published on 2 March 2026, what discussions he has had with local authorities on their capacity to conduct early in-person voting.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84647 on 31 October 2025.
In August 2025, local authorities were invited to apply to pilot a range of flexible voting methods at the May 2026 elections in England. Authorities were required to demonstrate a clear understanding of the pilot objectives, feasibility to deliver within the timeframe, appropriate resourcing and supplier management, proportionate contingency planning, and effective communication arrangements.
The Government is funding the costs of the flexible voting pilots. Final costs are not yet available.
As with all elections, responsibility for the manner, conduct and security of polls lies with the Returning Officer. Voting hubs, either on or in advance of the regular day of poll, will be subject to the same security and secrecy provisions as regular polling stations.
The Electoral Commission is responsible for carrying out an independent, statutory evaluation of the pilot schemes and will publish its findings.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Weekend voting and shopping centre polling stations to be trialled, published on 2 March 2026, what timescale he is working towards for a national rollout after the flexible voting trials.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84647 on 31 October 2025.
In August 2025, local authorities were invited to apply to pilot a range of flexible voting methods at the May 2026 elections in England. Authorities were required to demonstrate a clear understanding of the pilot objectives, feasibility to deliver within the timeframe, appropriate resourcing and supplier management, proportionate contingency planning, and effective communication arrangements.
The Government is funding the costs of the flexible voting pilots. Final costs are not yet available.
As with all elections, responsibility for the manner, conduct and security of polls lies with the Returning Officer. Voting hubs, either on or in advance of the regular day of poll, will be subject to the same security and secrecy provisions as regular polling stations.
The Electoral Commission is responsible for carrying out an independent, statutory evaluation of the pilot schemes and will publish its findings.