Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to allow areas that do not have a mayor to introduce a visitor levy.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 105024 on 19 January 2026.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made on the Code of Practice consultation.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I wish to assure the hon. Member that this government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector.
The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the Government to prepare a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities.
A consultation document outlining proposals to raise standard across the private parking industry was published on 11 July 2025.
All responses are now being analysed and the government will publish a response in due course.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support is available to families who are hosting Ukrainian citizens who need to extend their visas under the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme in financial year (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Sponsors/hosts of Homes for Ukraine guests are eligible for a thank you payment of £350 a month for the duration of a guests’ Homes for Ukraine visa period and for 18-months of the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme visa period.
The extension of thank you payments for 18-months of UPE provides time for guests and sponsors/hosts to plan for next steps, including securing independent accommodation if needed. Alternatively sponsors/hosts and guests may want to consider converting to a lodging arrangement and making use of the Government’s Rent a Room scheme. Where sponsors/hosts charge rent, they will not be eligible to receive a thank you payment.
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 households charged second home council tax premiums under processes later found to be procedurally defective are entitled to refunds.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Each billing authorities is responsible for the administration of council tax in its area including making any relevant determinations or calculations in accordance with the law. Whether any refunds may be necessary would depend on the specific circumstances of each case. It would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on individual cases or offer legal advice.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the incidence of costs on a) land-owners in reduced land value uplift as against b) new build sales prices, resultant from environmental standards for new build homes.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Future Homes Standard, which will ensure all new homes are net zero ready, will be published early this year and a full impact assessment will accompany that publication. The impact assessment presents the costs and benefits of the Standard.
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, further to the oral statement of 19 November 2025, Official Report, Column 614, on China Espionage: Government Security Response, whether political parties will be given information on individuals or companies which may be proxies for hostile state actors.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In October, the National Protective Security Agency launched specific guidance to help Members of Parliament, councillors, mayors, and their staff better understand and protect themselves from threats like espionage and foreign interference. This guidance provides simple, effective steps to safeguard individuals, their teams, and the integrity of democratic processes: Protecting our Democratic Institutions: Countering Espionage and Foreign Interference | Defending Democracy | NPSA.
On 16 December 2025, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced an independent review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics. The purpose of the Rycroft review is to provide an in-depth assessment of the current financial rules and safeguards that regulate political parties and political finance and make recommendations. The terms of reference for the review can be found here: Independent review: countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics: Terms of Reference.
Given the review’s independence, we cannot pre-empt specifics of the ground it will cover, nor the recommendations it will make. It is right that the review is independent of Government and independent of any political party. 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 2026.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
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 implementing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 103549 on 14 January 2026.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
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 cancellation of some local election on (a) communities and (b) local authorities.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In reaching his decisions on 2026 elections, as set out to the House on 22 January 2026, the Secretary of State adopted a locally led approach and carefully considered all the representations made. He heard from councils across the country about the capacity challenges they face as they seek to deliver local government reorganisation and how postponement would release essential capacity.
Postponement will enable those councils to focus work on reorganisation, and setting up new councils ready to deliver public services from day one.
Where councils have asked for their elections to go ahead, those elections are going ahead. The vast majority of local elections will go ahead across England in May.
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 letter to Essex County Council leader Kevin Bentley, dated 19 January 2026, whether he has received correspondence from (a) any Essex County Councillor and (b) any borough council in Essex requesting a postponement of the Essex County Council elections.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 29 January 2026, the Secretary of State wrote to the Leader of Essex County Council to confirm that he would not be including the election to Essex County Council in legislation to postpone local elections. A copy of that letter was deposited in the House library. In reaching his decisions on 2026 elections, as set out to the House on 22 January 2026, the Secretary of State adopted a locally led approach and carefully considered all the representations made, including those from the Leader of Essex County Council and other councils in Essex.
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 Councils granted flexibility to finish reorganisation, published on 22 January 2026, whether he has received representations from Thurrock councillors on postponing elections to Thurrock Council.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In reaching his decisions, as set out to Parliament on 22 January, the Secretary of State carefully considered all the representations made, including those relating to elections in Thurrock. The Secretary of State did not have meetings with the Leader of Thurrock Council on 2026 local elections, prior to the announcement of 22 January.