Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to HMT, Treasury Minutes, CP1668, August 2026, para 6.8 (page 8), if she will publish the comprehensive review of asylum accommodation contracts.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
We have committed to provide further information to the Public Accounts Committee by December 2026. Consideration of what material can be published will be made in the usual way, taking account of commercial sensitivities and contractual obligations.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HMRC Research Programme: Updated July 2026, published in August 2026, entry: Tax Reliefs, Ref: 2324TRE04, Evaluation of tax reliefs intended to support house building, which organisation is undertaking the research, what are the terms of reference, and what is the timetable for the research to be completed.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
This evaluation examines tax reliefs relevant to housebuilding. It aims to:
Following a competitive tendering exercise, the contract to conduct this research project was awarded to Verian. A report on the findings will be published in due course.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the reduction in business rates for pubs announced in July 2026 is subject to a subsidy limitation regime for individual businesses.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The 20 per cent relief announced in July will be available for all pubs, social clubs and all but the very largest live music venues.
The scope of the 20 per cent relief will broadly mirror the scope of the existing 15 per cent relief. [1]
Eligible social clubs must be open to the general public and permit drinks to be purchased at a bar. Social clubs include working men's clubs, ex-servicemen's clubs and other community membership clubs that are open to broad sections of the local community.
The 20 per cent relief will be awarded at the discretion of Local Authorities, who will determine eligibility using guidance published by the Government and based on existing definitions.
The Government will set out further details of the relief, including the treatment of the very largest venues, at the Budget.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pubs-and-live-music-venues-relief
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether residential asylum accommodation will be liable for the council tax surcharge.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The High Value Council Tax Surcharge is a new charge on owners of residential property in England worth ÂŁ2m or more.
The Government consulted on a proposed list of discounts and exemptions. and a response to the consultation will be published in due course.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2026, to Question 5344, on Council Tax: Surcharges, whether the powers of officers appointed by the Commissioners of His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs to undertake valuations for the new council tax surcharge will use the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as their statutory basis, or whether the Government intends to legislate to provide additional powers.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The High Value Council Tax Surcharge will be legislated for in Finance Bill 2026 and subject to Parliamentary approval in the normal way.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has to amend business rates for (a) pubs and nightclubs and (b) the thresholds for independent small businesses.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Government has introduced permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. Local Authorities determine whether a hereditament meets the legislative definition of Retail, Hospitality or Leisure (RHL) and therefore qualifies for the RHL multiplier.
Full details of eligibility for the new multipliers are set out in the relevant statutory instrument (SI), which can be found online here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/1093/contents/ made with guidance to support in interpreting the SI found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-rates-multipliers-qualifying-retail-hospitality-or-leisure.
The Government recognises that pubs, social clubs and live music venues have faced significant pressures in recent years. Earlier this year, the Government cut every pub, social club and live music venues bill by 15 per cent and ensured bills will be frozen in real terms for a further two years.
The Government is now going further by introducing an additional 20 per cent cut for pubs, social clubs, and all but the very largest live music venues, building on the support already in place.
Further decisions on wider business rates reforms will be set out in the normal way at the Budget.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Valuation Office Agency annual report and accounts 2025-26, July 2026, p.22, if he will list each of the individual datasets use for the data collection and sales verification.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Model Specification Document is published on gov.uk here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e6a9a08ac59d1882eaddf5/Model_specification_document.pdf
This sets out datasets used for data collection and sales verification under the heading Updating VOA Records on page 2.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Note 026 published on 5 August 2026 (a) applies to and (b) is mandatory for (i) local government and (ii) non-Civil Service Arm’s Length Bodies.
Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Procurement Policy Notes (PPNs) should be adopted and actioned by Central Government Departments, their Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies. Primary legislation would be required to set social value requirements for local government and non-Civil Service Arms Length Bodies. However, the PPN can be adopted on a voluntary basis.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate has the ONS made of the real terms change in house prices in each of the last twenty years in the (a) UK, (b) each constituent nation of the UK and (c) each local authority area of the UK.
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 Parliamentary Question of 9th September is attached.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to recommendation 17 of the document entitled The Rycroft Review: Report of the independent review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics, updated on 27 April 2026, her Department's document entitled The Rycroft Review: HM Government response, published on 6 July 2026, and the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 1 September 2026 on Direction of Government, Official Report, columns 36 and 46, whether the Home Office's Permanent Secretary remains the lead on democracy and elections across Government following the recent restructuring of Government.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The Home Office Permanent Secretary is the lead for defending democracy, having been appointed by the Cabinet Secretary following Recommendation 17 of the Rycroft Review. This is in support of my role as chair of the Defending Democracy Taskforce (DDTF).
Responsibility for elections policy sits with the Minister for Homelessness, Democracy, Communities and Faith.
The Joint Election Security and Preparedness Unit (a joint Cabinet Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government Unit) leads on election security and preparedness, and is a member of the DDTF.
The Cabinet Office are leading on assembling a new cross-Government task and finish team, which will be in conjunction with the work already delivered by the DDTF. The Taskforce operates across government to tackle the full range of national security threats to our democracy.