Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Office for National Statistics has made an assessment of the impact of council tax levels on the cost of living.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 9th September is attached.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 28 August 2026 to Question 18180 on Air Conditioning, whether she plans to hold a public consultation on the Building Safety Regulator’s review of Part O.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government committed to undertaking a full technical review of Part O of the Building Regulations in its response to the Future Homes and Buildings Standards consultation. This review, which is being led by the Building Safety Regulator, is now underway.
The review will consider whether any changes to Part O or the associated statutory guidance are needed, informed by evidence from the 2023 call for evidence and stakeholder feedback. Ministers will consider how best to proceed once the review has concluded.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 the answer of 7 July 2026 to Question HL1337 on Anti-Muslim Hostility, how her Department is engaging central and local public authorities on the new definition; and whether the engagement includes police forces.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department is engaging with sectors to consider the best approaches support effective implementation of the definition of anti-Muslim hostility.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 28 August 2026 to Question 15737 on Elections: Pilot Schemes, what was the topic of the planned protest on election day that lead to Plymouth City Council withdrawing from the pilot scheme.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Participation in the flexible voting pilots is voluntary and is a matter for Returning Officers, who are responsible for the conduct and security of elections in their area.
The Government is not in a position to comment on operational or security matters considered by the Returning Officer at Plymouth City Council.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 the High Value Council Tax Surcharge consultations, published 19 May 2026, whether any single person discount will apply to the council tax surcharge.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has consulted on the design of the High Value Council Tax Surcharge, including proposed exemptions and support arrangements and will publish its response in due course.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which minister in her Department is responsible for issues relating to late-night licensing.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I am the minister responsible for late-night licensing in this department. However, the Home Office is the responsible department for licensing, more broadly.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether civil servants in her Department who are assigned to London but permanently move to No10 North will lose their London weighting allowance; and whether they will be paid a relocation allowance.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Civil Servants who are permanently recruited to new departments move to the relevant terms and conditions of their new department. Number 10 North formally operates as part of the Cabinet Office and therefore any relevant pay and allowances for permanent positions recruited to in Number 10 North for staff moving from Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) would be determined by Cabinet Office policies and practices rather than those applicable within MHCLG.
MHCLG does not pay a separate London weighting allowance. MHCLG does operate National and London pay bands, and has policies in place regarding the transfer to National pay bands from London pay bands upon a change in office location within the department. No relocation package is currently available in MHCLG at this point in time.
If there was a Machinery of Government change involving a formal transfer of staff and responsibilities under the Cabinet Office Statement of Practice (COSoP) the relevant terms and conditions would be considered in light of legislative practice.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 28 August 2026 to Question 18023, on Social Rented Housing: Eligibility, in what circumstances are immigrants who have no recourse to public funds eligible for (a) temporary accommodation and (b) homeless support from local housing authorities.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Eligibility for statutory homelessness assistance from housing authorities is determined by immigration status. In general, an applicant who is a person from abroad with a no recourse to public funds (NRPF) condition will not be eligible for assistance. Guidance on eligibility for homelessness services is set out in Chapter 7 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance Homelessness code of guidance for local authorities - Download this guidance - Guidance - GOV.UK.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the automatic voter registration pilots will cross constituency boundaries.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will test automated registration in a range of different locations and settings, with different characteristics and challenges.
We will develop criteria with the Electoral Commission to inform outreach to local authorities to as much as possible encourage the participation of a balanced range of areas, for example areas with different geographical, demographic and structural characteristics.
We want to ensure the pilots work effectively and we are considering the issue of constituency boundaries as part of the pilot design process.