Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government which public body has responsibility for the cybersecurity of the telecommunication cables outside the proposed Chinese Embassy at the Royal Mint (1) before, and (2) after, the development of the Embassy.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to ensuring the security and resilience of the UK’s telecommunications infrastructure.
The Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 introduced a robust security framework, requiring public telecoms providers to identify, reduce and prepare for the risks of security compromise. Public telecoms providers are responsible for the cyber-security of their own networks, in line with their obligations under this framework. Ofcom, as the telecoms regulator, is responsible for monitoring and enforcing their compliance with those obligations.
DSIT is responsible for developing policies, including legislation, to help ensure the security of the UK’s public telecoms networks and services. DSIT works with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), as the UK’s lead technical authority for cyber security. The NCSC provides advice to government and industry on cyber-security threats and vulnerabilities.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what non-privileged advice or guidance they have given to public bodies on whether a public body may exercise a legal power that is subject to a declaration of incompatibility under the Human Rights Act 1998, both specifically with reference to the High Court declaration of incompatibility directed to sections 60C(3), 61(4ZA)(a), 62(1A)(a) and 62B(2) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, made in May 2024, and more widely.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
In May 2024 the High Court ruled that the twelve month no-return period in Part 5 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 in relation to unauthorised encampments was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, due to the limited availability of authorised transit sites.
A government amendment has been tabled to the Crime and Policing Bill to reduce the period during which an individual who has been directed to leave an unauthorised encampment must not return, from twelve months to three months. This applies to sections 60C, 61, 62, 62B and 62C of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act. This will rectify the incompatibility with Convention rights.
The Home Office has not provided advice to public bodies on whether they may exercise these legal powers in light of the High Court ruling. Police forces are operationally independent of government and any enforcement action against encampments is an operational matter for the police.
Statutory guidance issued by the Home Secretary under section 62F of the 1994 Act is published here: Statutory Guidance for Police on Unauthorised Encampments
The guidance will be updated when the Crime and Policing Bill receives Royal Assent.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the assumed monetary and percentage increase in Band D council tax in (1) Westminster, and (2) Wandsworth, in each of the three years of the 2026–27 to 2028–29 Local Government Finance Settlement.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
It is for individual councils to decide their level of council tax, taking into consideration a range of local factors, including impact on taxpayers. Westminster’s band D council tax level in 2025-26 is £529 and Wandsworth’s is £507. The government’s estimate of Core Spending Power for these councils, assumes that they will increase these band D council tax levels by 5% in 2026-27 and by 5% plus an additional £150 in both 2027-28 and 2028-29.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 26 January (HL Deb col 715), why they postponed elections in six priority areas; and why elections were not postponed in the remaining 14 areas.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
It is important to distinguish between elections scheduled in existing mayoral authorities and these inaugural mayoral elections, which we have not had before and are only taking place in the six Devolution Priority Programme areas.
The Government is committed to ensuring our mayoral institutions are best placed to deliver and, as a result, is now minded to hold inaugural mayoral elections for the four Devolution Priority Programme places that are also undertaking local government reorganisation in May 2028 rather than May 2026, so that areas can complete the reorganisation process before Mayors take office. This will ensure that these institutions are built on firm foundations and that their Mayors are able to deliver for their regions and local communities from day one.
The inaugural mayoral elections for Cheshire and Warrington and Cumbria will be held in May 2027, as these areas have already undergone local government reorganisation, and mayoral elections in existing mayoral authorities will proceed as scheduled, as these institutions are already established. These mayoral elections are also distinct from local council elections.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 26 January (HL Deb col 715), when the mayoral elections for the 14 remaining areas will take place.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
It is important to distinguish between elections scheduled in existing mayoral authorities and these inaugural mayoral elections, which we have not had before and are only taking place in the six Devolution Priority Programme areas.
The Government is committed to ensuring our mayoral institutions are best placed to deliver and, as a result, is now minded to hold inaugural mayoral elections for the four Devolution Priority Programme places that are also undertaking local government reorganisation in May 2028 rather than May 2026, so that areas can complete the reorganisation process before Mayors take office. This will ensure that these institutions are built on firm foundations and that their Mayors are able to deliver for their regions and local communities from day one.
The inaugural mayoral elections for Cheshire and Warrington and Cumbria will be held in May 2027, as these areas have already undergone local government reorganisation, and mayoral elections in existing mayoral authorities will proceed as scheduled, as these institutions are already established. These mayoral elections are also distinct from local council elections.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 26 January (HL Deb col 715), what assessment they have made of the ability of the 14 remaining areas to deliver local government reorganisation to the proposed timescale of 12 months less time than the six priority areas.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As I set out on 26 January, the remaining 14 local government reorganisation areas do not have 12 months less time than the other areas.
On 5 February 2025, the Government invited two-tier authorities in 21 areas and their neighbouring small unitary authorities to develop proposals for unitary local government. Following the submission of proposals, the Government has since announced two new unitary authorities in Surrey and concluded a statutory consultation on final proposals for a further six areas. Decisions on which proposals, if any, to implement for those six areas will be taken by March 2026. Following elections in 2027, the new unitary councils will go live in 2028.
For the remaining 14 areas, the Government launched a statutory consultation on 5 February, which will close on 26 March. Decisions on which proposals, if any, to implement will then be announced around the time of the Summer Recess in 2026. Following elections in 2027, the new unitary councils will go live in 2028.
My officials are in regular contact with councils to support them to undertake preparatory work to ensure readiness for any transition to new authorities.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to align the definition of brownfield land for the purposes of the Building Safety Levy to the definition in the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Works on previously developed sites will be charged at the 50% discount rate for the Building Safety Levy. This has been put in place to account for the higher costs of developing a previously developed/ brownfield site.
As set out in our response to the technical consultation, we have implemented a definition of “Previously Developed Sites” in the Building Safety Levy regulations, which draws on the definition of “Previously Developed Land” set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Appropriate amendments have been made to reflect that the NPPF definition is primarily designed to inform planning policy whereas the Building Safety Levy definition is used in regulations to apply a tax discount.
We are considering whether the approach in regulations could be more closely aligned with the NPPF, while maintaining the level of precision required for a taxation system.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan for water and sewerage companies to no longer be statutory consultees on individual applications that are part of a local plan on which they have already been consulted.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Water companies are not statutory consultees on individual planning applications, but they are consulted as part of the preparation of local development plans. We have no plans to change these arrangements.
On 17 November 2025, my Department published a consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system. That consultation closes on 13 January 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the letter from Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 3 November about the removal of the lower rate of landfill tax, what types of inert construction waste they plan to be reused elsewhere.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
At the Budget in November 2025, the Government set out its decisions in response to the consultation on reform to Landfill Tax which ran earlier this year. The Government has listened to the arguments made by businesses, particularly in the construction sector, and has decided that now is not the right time to converge to a single rate of tax. Instead, the Government has announced a plan to prevent the gap between the two rates getting any wider over the coming years which ensures that businesses will not face significant additional costs. In addition, the tax exemption for backfilling quarries will be retained to ensure that businesses continue to have access to a low-cost alternative to landfill.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 20 November (HL Deb col 930), whether they plan to make changes to planning practice guidance and the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure that water and sewerage companies and undertakings fully engage with local plans and spatial development strategies as statutory consultees at the strategic level, rather than at the individual site level.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Government will shortly be introducing a new plan-making system to support faster preparation of plans and more frequent updates. This new system will provide a more strategic approach for water and sewerage company engagement in plan-making. Government intends to prescribe water and sewerage companies in ‘Requirement to Assist’ regulations so they will be obliged to assist with plan-making, where a plan-making authority reasonably requests it. Government also intends to list water and sewerage companies as consultation bodies for the new plan-making system, so they will be made aware of key plan-making consultations where the plan-making authority considers that they have an interest. The Requirement to Assist will also apply to the preparation of spatial development strategies. The National Planning Policy Framework and relevant planning and guidance will reflect these law changes where appropriate.