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 8 November 2024 to Question 11925 on Council tax: Greater London, what are the assumed council tax requirement excluding parish precepts figures for the local government core spending power figures of (a) £64,786 million in 2024-25 and (b) £68,459 million in 2025-26.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has confirmed that it will not increase council tax referendum principles above the current 3% core council tax principle and the 2% principle for the adult social care precept, in line with the OBR forecasting. This is a continuation of the previous government’s policy, and informs the Core Spending Power figures for both 2024-25 and 2025-26. Further details will be set out at the Local Government Finance settlement.
The Government has published an explanatory note on the methodology used to calculate Core Spending Power for the 2024-25 Local Government Finance Settlement. The note is available on the Gov.UK website here.
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 methodology was used to calculate the council tax requirement, excluding parish precepts, in (a) Core spending power table: final local government finance settlement 2024 to 2025, published on 5 February 2024, and (b) Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2024 to 2025, published on 8 May 2024.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has confirmed that it will not increase council tax referendum principles above the current 3% core council tax principle and the 2% principle for the adult social care precept, in line with the OBR forecasting. This is a continuation of the previous government’s policy, and informs the Core Spending Power figures for both 2024-25 and 2025-26. Further details will be set out at the Local Government Finance settlement.
The Government has published an explanatory note on the methodology used to calculate Core Spending Power for the 2024-25 Local Government Finance Settlement. The note is available on the Gov.UK website here.
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 her Department's policy is on gas boilers being (a) installed in new homes and (b) re-installed or replaced in existing homes.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Future standards next year will set our new homes and buildings on a path that moves away from relying on volatile fossil fuels and ensures they are fit for a net zero future. These homes will be future proofed with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency. No further energy efficiency retrofit work will be necessary to enable them to become zero-carbon over time as the electricity grid continues to decarbonise.
For existing homes, the Government’s position is not to force anyone to rip out a working boiler and will incentivise moves to cleaner, affordable heating. The Government has started delivery of the Warm Homes Plan which will support investment in heat pumps and other home improvements to cut bills. More detail will be set out 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, what the Greater London Authority precept on Band D council tax, (a) including and (b) excluding the Transport for London element, was in each year since 2016-17; and how much was allocated in monetary terms to Transport for London funding in each year.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The average Band D council tax set by the Greater London Authority over time can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/662a4c28690acb1c0ba7e617/Live_Table_-_Band_D_2024-25__revised_.ods.
There is no separate council tax precept for Transport for London. The Government does not collect information on how much council tax was allocated by Greater London Authority to Transport for London.
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 8 November 2024 to Question 11851 on Employers' Contributions: Local Government, which grants are included in the £1.3 billion of new grant funding in 2025-26; and whether funding will be made available for changes to (a) retail, hospitality and leisure business rate relief in the 2025-26 financial year and (b) the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We have announced £1.3 billion of new grant funding in 2025/26 for local government to deliver core services, of which at least £600 million is for social care. Further details will be included in the upcoming Policy Statement and Local Government Finance Settlement.
In regard to whether funding will be made available for changes to:
(a) the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions, English local authorities will be fully compensated for the loss of income and administration costs resulting from administering 40 per cent Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief and freezing the small business multiplier for 2025-26.
(b) the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions, I refer the Hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 11851 on 8 November 2024.
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 8 November 2024 to Question 11851 on Employers' Contributions: Local Government, if she will publish a breakdown of the £1.3 billion.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We have announced £1.3 billion of new grant funding in 2025/26 for local government to deliver core services, of which at least £600 million is for social care. Further details will be included in the upcoming Policy Statement and Local Government Finance Settlement.
In regard to whether funding will be made available for changes to:
(a) the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions, English local authorities will be fully compensated for the loss of income and administration costs resulting from administering 40 per cent Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief and freezing the small business multiplier for 2025-26.
(b) the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions, I refer the Hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 11851 on 8 November 2024.
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 8 November 2024 to Question 11851 on Employers’ Contributions: Local Government, what was the evidential basis for allocating £600 million of social care funding.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Autumn Statement announced at least £600 million of new grant funding for social care. This funding, alongside income from unringfenced sources including council tax, can be used to address the range of pressures facing the social care sector. Further details will be included in the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.
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 assessment she has made of the potential impact of increased employer National Insurance contributions, as announced in the Autumn Budget 2024, on (a) the housing association sector and (b) the capacity of housing associations to increase levels of social housing building.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Restoring stability and fixing the foundations of our economy are the best things we can do to support growth. Tax rises need to play a part to fund public services and to invest in rebuilding Britain – and this includes investment in much needed new social and affordable housing.
At the Budget, the Chancellor set out details of an immediate one-year cash injection of £500 million to top up the existing Affordable Homes Programme which will deliver up to 5,000 new social and affordable homes. This comes ahead of the multi-year Spending Review next spring, where the government will set out details of new investment to succeed the current Affordable Homes Programme.
The government recognises that housing associations and councils need support to build their capacity and make a greater contribution to affordable housing supply. We are consulting on a new 5-year social housing rent settlement to give housing associations and other providers the certainty they need to invest in new social housing. We will be carefully considering all responses to that consultation.
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 paragraph 3.16 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, where the proposed locations are of the three large housing development sites in (a) Cambridgeshire, (b) West Sussex and (c) Durham; and how many houses will be built in each county.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Information on the three housing development sites is as follows:
a) Cambridgeshire: Permission for up to 1,000 new homes on land between Huntingdon Road and Histon Road, Cambridge, known as Darwin Green Phases Two and Three, was granted on 25 September 2024;
b) West Sussex: A reserved matters application for 280 new homes at Kilnwood Vale, Crawley Road, Faygate, Horsham, was approved on 25 October 2024;
c) Durham: Permission for up to 1,924 new homes at Sniperley Park and Sniperley Farm, Pity Me, Durham, was granted on 21 August 2024.
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 paragraph 2.98 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, what her policy is on whether local authorities will (a) be selected by her Department or (b) volunteer to work with her Department to create simpler organisational structures.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has now been clear on its long term vision for simpler local government structures so councils are the right size and shape to deliver citizen-focused services for their communities. We have heard from councils that unitarisation can be a positive way to increase sustainability and resilience of local government and want to work in partnership with local leaders to support them to achieve these objectives. Further detail will follow in the English Devolution White Paper, to be published shortly.