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 7 July 2026, to Question 14978, on Community Development, and further to the guidance, Sustainable Communities Act and barrier busting: how to submit proposals, updated 2 July 2026, if she will publish the application form for Sustainable Communities Act bids.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Guidance for the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 invites local authorities to contact the department to receive a copy of the form used to submit a proposal under the Act. Local authorities can request a copy of this form by contacting [email protected]. The government has no current plans to publish this form but will keep this under review.
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, what steps her Department is taking to prevent electoral wards and divisions being drawn up in a partisan manner as part of unitary local government restructuring; what criteria is used to assess electoral areas when submitted to her; and whether this will be included in the review announced on 7 September 2026.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is the independent body responsible for setting electoral arrangements for councils. However, it cannot undertake an electoral review until a new council has been established in law. Where a proposal is implemented, councils are asked to suggest interim electoral arrangements for inclusion in the legislation establishing the new authority. Neither councils nor Ministers have the power to draw new electoral boundaries through this process. Instead, interim arrangements must be based on existing electoral areas, including district wards, county divisions, parishes and parish wards. Councils are expected to have regard to the Commission's published guidance when developing their suggestions, and the Commission offered support to councils undertaking this work earlier in the year.
The rapid review will consider the local government reorganisation programme as a whole, ensuring it is robust and aligns with the new Government’s plans to rewire the state.
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 oral statement by the Prime Minister of 1 September 2026, Official Report, whether she plans to revoke Regulation 45 of the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has no plans to ban councils from using enforcement agents to recover unpaid council tax. Councils are expected to act sympathetically towards those in hardship and use enforcement powers proportionately, but it is right that they retain appropriate tools to recover debt where necessary.
The Government recognises concerns about enforcement agents’ actions when recovering council tax and is taking steps to strengthen the oversight of the enforcement sector. On 28 August 2026, the Minister for Courts and Legal Services announced that all private enforcement agents will be subject to independent oversight by the Enforcement Conduct Board. This will give people who are facing enforcement action and are struggling financially greater protection and access to an independent complaints’ procedure.
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 her Department's press release entitled Review of local government reorganisation launched, published on 7 September 2026, if she will outline a summary of the substantive grounds for which the Department's decision-making deemed to be unlawful, without disclosing the legal advice.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 7 September 2026, the Secretary of State announced that decisions taken for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk would be withdrawn and that implementation of other local government reorganisation decisions would be paused while the Government considers next steps. It is a longstanding principle that the Government does not comment on or publish legal advice.
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 MHCLG Accounting Officer System statement, 17 July 2026, para 4.7.1, on what date was the Single Departmental Plan last updated, and whether it will be revised mid-year following the change in Prime Minister and Secretary of State.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The recent iteration of MHCLG’s Single Departmental Plan was published internally in April 2026 and shared with HMT. The next departmental plan will be published internally by April 2027, with preparations already underway to align it with the new Prime Minister and Secretary of State’s priorities.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the status of the new fund for local authorities to provide asylum accommodation.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is working across government to explore innovative models of asylum accommodation that achieve value for money and support asylum system reform and further detail will be provided in due course.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 1 September 2026 to Question 17446, on Prayer: Public Places, whether the Home Office has issued guidance on whether silent public prayer is permissible in a safe access zone.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to protecting freedom of expression and religion, while ensuring that individuals can access abortion services without harassment or intimidation.
The legislation does not specify particular behaviours which are permissible or not permissible in safe access zone. It is for the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts, who are operationally independent of Government, to determine whether conduct meets the threshold for an offence in the circumstances of a particular case.
The Crown Prosecution Service has published guidance which explains that activities such as vigils or silent prayer could fall within the scope of the offence depending on the intent and circumstances of the case. Operational guidance to police forces on the policing of safe access zones is provided by the College of Policing.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question
To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Electoral Commission provides on whether Commonwealth citizens can stand for election to (a) Parliament and (b) local government, and what are the necessary qualifications in terms of leave to remain.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
The Electoral Commission’s guidance for candidates and agents sets out the qualification requirements for UK parliamentary elections and local government elections in England. Commonwealth citizens must meet these requirements to stand, and they must either have indefinite leave to remain or not need leave to enter or remain.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question
To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission was consulted prior to the announcement of the cancellation of unitary elections in May 2027.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
The Commission was not consulted on the announcement of the cancellation of unitary elections in May 2027.