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 written statement of 2 March 2026, HCWS1375, on Flexible Voting Pilots, and with reference to the list of councils with elections in the Cabinet Office purdah guidance published on 2 March 2026, when will North Hertfordshire District Council hold its next local election.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

North Hertfordshire District Council elections are not listed in the Cabinet Office pre-election period guidance because they do not have scheduled elections in 2026. The government remains committed to the indicative timetable for local government reorganisation set out in July 2025, including for Hertfordshire, with elections to the new councils scheduled for May 2027.

In addition, for the 2026 parish council elections, the Hertfordshire parishes of Codicote, Kimpton, Knebworth and Royston will take part in the flexible voting scheme for polls on 7 May 2026.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the Electoral Commission's report entitled Automatic registration pilots evaluation, published in December 2025, how many and what proportion of people who were automatically added were subsequently removed from the annual canvass.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

Across the piloting local authorities 16,000 people were added to the registers automatically. At the time of publication of the Electoral Commission’s evaluation, data from piloting authorities showed that 83 of those electors had been removed during the annual canvass. This is less than 1% of the number registered automatically as a result of the pilots.

As the annual canvass was not complete when the evaluation was finalised, the Commission recommended to the Welsh Government that they should request final data from Electoral Registration Officers to enable a final assessment of the matching accuracy.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2026 to Question 102773 on Local Government: Elections, whether the Parliamentary Parties Panel was consulted on the local election pilots.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The Westminster Political Parties Panel was not consulted on the local election pilots.

The Commission has a statutory duty to independently evaluate the May 2026 pilot schemes and will report on the pilots by August 2026. The Commission will also support local authorities taking part in the pilots as needed.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the Electoral Commission's document entitled Accredited Observer Organisations, published in February 2026, for what reason accredited election observers include (a) the Zimbabwe Diaspora Community Network, (b) the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara and (c) World Peace Volunteers.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The Commission is responsible under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 for accrediting individuals and organisations who wish to observe electoral processes at elections and relevant referendums held in the United Kingdom.

Anyone over the age of 16, including those from outside the UK, can apply to become an electoral observer, provided they are politically impartial, have not been found or reported guilty of a corrupt or illegal electoral practice in the UK, and have not had previous accreditation revoked within the last five years.

Observers must adhere to the Code of Practice for electoral observers.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has issued guidance to Returning Officers on whether election observers can raise points of concern on the conduct of an election when inside a polling station.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The Commission’s guidance for Returning Officers notes that they have a legal duty to have regard to the Code of Practice for observers when managing the attendance of observers at polling stations. The Code states that observers may bring irregularities, fraud or significant problems to the attention of election officials on the spot, unless this would contravene the secrecy requirements, and must do so in a non-obstructive manner.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 84203 on Voting Methods, whether the Electoral Commission was consulted by the Government over the use of early voting pilots in the May 2026 local elections in England.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The Government was required to consult the Electoral Commission before making the draft orders providing for flexible voting pilot schemes at the May 2026 elections in England. The Commission has a statutory duty to independently evaluate and report on the May 2026 pilot schemes.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to revise its council tax requirement estimates for Windsor and Maidenhead in the context of the revised council tax referendum threshold for 2026-27; and whether the assumed council tax increases for each of 2027-28 and 2028-29 will continue to be based on the previous formula.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government annually makes assumptions of council tax levels for the next financial year as a part of its estimates of Core Spending Power. In line with previous years, council tax estimates in Core Spending Power will not be adjusted to reflect higher referendum principles for authorities that have requested additional council tax flexibility above core referendum principles before the next settlement. The government will continue to keep its methodology for calculating the Core Spending Power of local government under review in future years.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of above-inflation council tax increases in each year of the multi-year finance settlement on family disposable incomes.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Council tax levels are decided by local authorities. For the vast majority of councils, the government intends to maintain a core 3% referendum principle and a 2% adult social care precept for each year of the multi-year settlement. Councils are required to put in place council tax support schemes to support those on low incomes.

Referendum principles must be determined by the Secretary of State annually and approved by the House of Commons. This will be done each year as part of the annual local government finance settlement in the usual way.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been of the potential impact of the Local Government Pension Scheme pooling has (a) increased and (b) reduced (i) administrative costs and (ii) fund performance.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The scale and expertise of the asset pools have delivered a step change in the expertise, capacity and resilience of the Local Government Pension Scheme. Since the inception of asset pooling, the total costs reported by LGPS asset pools is £792 million, but they have delivered net savings of £1.17 billion.

The reforms currently being implemented will bring all LGPS assets under pool management, delivering scale and consolidation, and facilitating greater access to a wider range of asset classes including private markets. In the new pooling landscape, asset pools will have the ability to bring investment capacity in-house and make investments directly rather than via an intermediary, and the opportunity to negotiate lower management and performance fees.

The government recognises that there are transition costs associated with implementing the reforms. These transition costs will, however, be one-off upfront costs that will shape the scheme for the coming decades and set it up for even greater success for the future. We expect that they will be recouped in the long-term through savings and improved investment performance.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authority Returning Officers, in the areas with cancelled council elections in May 2026 which have now been reinstated, will be financially indemnified by HM Government.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local government elections are the responsibility of local authorities, which appoint and fund Returning Officers and meet the costs of administering local polls.

Returning Officers are personally legally liable for the conduct of local elections and make their own arrangements to insure against risks arising from the discharge of their statutory duties at local and UK Parliamentary elections. This cover usually forms part of the local authority’s own insurance arrangements.

Indemnities are only provided in limited and exceptional circumstances, and no such exceptional circumstances apply in relation to the May 2026 local government elections.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued guidance on whether the second homes premium should be levied on empty dwellings that are undergoing repairs or major refurbishment.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Councils have the power to apply a council tax premium on dwellings which are no one’s sole or main residence and substantially furnished (second homes) and dwellings which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for 1 or more years (long-term empty homes).

The government has published guidance on the implementation of council tax premiums. This is available on gov.uk here. Where a dwelling requires or is undergoing major repairs it may be excepted from the long-term empty homes premium for up to 12 months.

Councils have the power to provide their own local exceptions or provide discretionary discounts where they consider this appropriate. The government encourages councils to make use of their local expertise to consider where a premium should not be charged.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what is the planned implementation date for the lowering of the voting age to 16.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government was elected on a manifesto commitment to extend the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds in all UK elections. To deliver this commitment, the Representation of the People Bill was introduced Parliament on 12 February 2026 and received its Second Reading in the House of Commons on 2 March 2026.

Extending the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds represents a significant change to the electoral franchise and requires careful planning to implement effectively. Subject to Parliamentary passage of the Bill, the government intends for the franchise change to be in place in good time ahead of the next UK Parliamentary General Election.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the most recent estimate is of the number of qualifying EU citizens on the local election roll in England.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government does not hold data on the number of qualifying EU citizens on the local government electoral register in England.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) previously published estimates of the number of EU citizens eligible to vote in Local Government elections in England but has not produced equivalent estimates following changes to EU citizens’ voting rights implemented through the Elections Act 2022.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of postal voting fraud in elections since the 2024 general election.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Data on allegations and outcomes of electoral fraud is collected by police forces across the UK and provided to the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission then publishes this information annually on its website. The Government continues to work closely with the Electoral Commission, the police and other partners to safeguard the integrity of elections and maintain public confidence in the democratic process.

Postal voting is now a major part of our elections, with over a quarter of votes at the 2024 General Election cast by post. As part of the Electoral Commission’s review of that election, 89% of postal voters stated they were satisfied with the process of voting.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with local authorities on representations by the Muslim Council of Britain to place polling stations in mosques.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The selection of polling station locations is a matter for the independent Returning Officer. The independent Electoral Commission is responsible for providing guidance to Returning Officers, including on polling station selection. The Electoral Commission is also responsible for setting standards and monitoring the performance of Returning Officers.

The Secretary of State has not had discussions with local authorities regarding representations by the Muslim Council of Britain on the placement of polling stations.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what is the most recent estimate of the number of qualified Commonwealth citizens on the UK Parliamentary electoral roll in (a) England and (b) the United Kingdom.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

While there are no official statistics specifically on qualifying Commonwealth citizens currently living in the UK who are registered to vote, Electoral Commission figures estimate that 66% of this group may be registered to vote (as at 2023). Further information on the Electoral Commission can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what will happen to the Best Value interventions in Surrey when the district councils are abolished; and whether there will be any central government monitoring or intervention in the new unitary councils in relation to the legacy issues.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The current Best Value arrangements for Woking and Spelthorne Borough Councils will lapse on West Surrey’s vesting day, due in April 2027, as these councils will be abolished. Commissioners are developing robust handover plans to facilitate a smooth transition into West Surrey. We are working with Commissioners and local stakeholders to consider how the new Council can effectively manage legacy issues moving forward, and what support it will need to deliver for its residents.

We are clear that Woking Borough Council’s debt cannot be managed in full locally. Further to our unprecedented commitment to repay in-principle an initial £500m of Woking Borough Council’s debt in 2026-27, we are committed to providing interim financial support to the new council until a final decision is made. It is crucial that any debt support must consider value for money for local and national taxpayers.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what is the timetable for the implementation of automatic voter registration, (a) pilots and (b) implementation, and whether it will be rolled out nationally in part by (i) area or (ii) datasets or characteristics to be automated.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is working on the design of direct registration pilots, including timetable and approach, which will be set out in secondary legislation subject to the affirmative procedure. This will give the opportunity for Parliament to scrutinise the plans.

Our plan is to test automated registration in a range of different locations and settings, with different characteristics and challenges, to ensure anything we implement permanently works for everyone. We will be guided throughout by principles of fairness and open engagement. We are consulting a range of stakeholders to develop this programme, including the Electoral Commission, the Association of Electoral Administrators, local authorities and civil society organisations. We will also continue to offer engagement with political parties.

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 his proposed changes to voter identification requirements, whether Bank Cards would need to have a (a) photograph and (b) full name to be accepted as identification.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 116475 answered on 9 March 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to amend electoral law to introduce statutory guidance for Returning Officers to protect the secrecy of the ballot in polling stations, including steps to stop practices of so-called family voting.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Electoral Commission is responsible for providing Returning Officers with guidance on the administration of elections; they provide extensive advice, including how polling staff should respond if they suspect offences are being committed, such as family voting. The Commission’s performance standards for Returning Officers also specifically include ensuring polling stations are set up and staff are trained to support voters to vote independently and in secret.

While the vast majority of people vote lawfully, any instance of coercion into revealing the nature of somebody’s ballot is illegal, unacceptable and undermines confidence in our democratic process. We will continue to work with electoral administrators and the Electoral Commission to ensure that that our polls are run smoothly, fairly, and securely.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to the press release entitled Weekend voting and shopping centre polling stations to be trialled, on 2 March 2026, whether the plans for mobile voting stations will include visiting community facilities registered under the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The choice of polling station is a matter for the independent Returning Officer. The Electoral Commission is responsible for providing guidance to Returning Officers and do so on the selection of appropriate polling stations. The Electoral Commission is also responsible for setting standards and monitoring the performance of Returning Officers.

Mobile polling stations are not being piloted during the May 2026 local elections. Future pilots could include mobile polling stations and if taken forward the details in the questions would be considered.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to the press release, Weekend voting and shopping centre polling stations to be trialled, on 2 March 2026, who would determine the specific locations that mobile voting stations would visit as part of its route.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The choice of polling station is a matter for the independent Returning Officer. The Electoral Commission is responsible for providing guidance to Returning Officers and do so on the selection of appropriate polling stations. The Electoral Commission is also responsible for setting standards and monitoring the performance of Returning Officers.

Mobile polling stations are not being piloted during the May 2026 local elections. Future pilots could include mobile polling stations and if taken forward the details in the questions would be considered.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance is in place on the location of polling stations to prevent a partisan advantage for any specific candidate or political party when determining the location.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The choice of polling station is a matter for the independent Returning Officer. The Electoral Commission is responsible for providing guidance to Returning Officers and do so on the selection of appropriate polling stations. The Electoral Commission is also responsible for setting standards and monitoring the performance of Returning Officers.

Mobile polling stations are not being piloted during the May 2026 local elections. Future pilots could include mobile polling stations and if taken forward the details in the questions would be considered.

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 18 December 2025to Question 96897 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Public Appointments, when and where he will publish this this information; and if it will include all sitting DMAs.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Cabinet Office has created a gov.uk page for departments to publish Direct Ministerial Appointments (DMAs). In line with their guidance, MHCLG now publishes details of all new appointments and extensions, and extant appointments will be published in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of his Department's staff are on full-time pay with compressed hours.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

At 31 January 2026 there were 760 active payroll staff, 19% of total headcount, who worked full‑time hours over a compressed period, meaning they received full pay. This figure includes a range of different compressed full‑time working arrangements.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the required hours of working are for staff in his Department on full-pay who work a compressed four-day week.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Staff who work full-time, have the following conditioned hours per week:

• 36 hours net – if their normal place of work is in London and if appointed before 1 June 2013
• 37 hours net – if their normal place of work is elsewhere

If they were appointed to the Civil Service within the department on or after 1 June 2013:

• 37 hours net – in all locations (including London)

Net hours do not include meal breaks.

Staff working a compressed four-day week have the flexibility to agree their daily working pattern to reach the required conditioned hours per week.

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 26 February 2026 to Question 111135 on Council Tax, what is the estimated average Band D council tax in England if based on his Department's council tax requirement forecasts.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The department has not made an estimate of the average band D council tax for core spending power calculations. The department’s council tax requirement forecasts in core spending power exclude the precepts of police and crime commissioners and parish and town councils. They also exclude mayoral combined authority precepts other than where these fund fire services.

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 23 February 2026, to Question 109808, on England: Anniversaries, if he will hold discussions with (a) the Mayor of London and (b) any other local authority on potential events to celebrate the 1,100th anniversary of the foundation of the Kingdom of England.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 85176 on 24 November 2025, which confirmed that MHCLG currently is not responsible for anniversaries of this type.

If the hon. Member is keen to raise this with the Mayor of London himself, his office can be contacted via Contact us form | London City Hall.

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 Local Outcomes Framework of 9 February 2026, what consideration was given to having a metric on the frequency of household bin collections.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Local Outcomes Framework sets out 16 national priority outcomes delivered at the local level and driven by councils as local leaders of place. Metrics in the Local Outcomes Framework were chosen from publicly available data adhering to clear quality standards, and after engaging widely with local government and interested parties.

The Framework’s Environment, Circular Economy and Climate Change outcome includes three waste outcome metrics that cover a key area of statutory responsibility for local authorities and are further supported by the fly tipping metric in the Neighbourhoods outcome.

Local authorities remain responsible for deciding how often to collect residual (non‑recyclable) waste and dry recycling, based on local needs. A metric on this is therefore not included in the Outcomes Framework.

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 20 January 2026, to Question 105396, on Eden Project: Morecambe, what assessment has his department made for the reasons to the scaling back of the Eden Project since July 2024.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Since July 2024 the Eden Project Morecambe team has continued design work. An update on potential options for the development, including their size and scale, was presented to MHCLG in March 2025. These options were subject to ongoing community conversations. In September 2025, the department launched the Local Regeneration Fund which provided certainty of funding and flexibility to Local Authorities, including Lancaster City Council as sponsors of the Eden Project Morecambe. The Eden Project Morecambe team submitted a planning application for their preferred option on the 15th of October 2025. The planning application proposal has been approved, subject to S106 approval and 6 week judicial review period.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the final version of the Section 106 agreement for the Chinese Embassy planning permission.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All Inquiry documents for this case are publicly available on Tower Hamlets’ website here.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to 3/2026: Pubs and Live Music Venue Relief local authority guidance, whether race courses are still designated as retail, hospitality and leisure for the purposes of the RHL multiplier.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the member to the answer given to UIN 97815 on the 8 December 2025

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what representations has he received from (a) local authorities and (b) the LGA on the high value council tax surcharge being described as a council tax.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government has not yet formally consulted on the High Value Council Tax Surcharge. A consultation will be published in the coming months, to invite views and representations from the sector and other stakeholders on details relating to the Surcharge.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance has been given to local authorities on removing unauthorised moorings on rivers; and what is the division of responsibilities between (a) councils and (b) Environment Agency.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Navigation authorities are responsible for managing operations on their waterways and the Government does not direct that. Boaters are expected to comply with the terms of their licences for the benefit of all waterway users, including any restrictions on mooring. In instances of non-compliance, navigation authorities have enforcement powers. Where a boat is occupied, particularly in cases involving potential vulnerability, navigation authorities seek to work with local authority housing and safeguarding teams to assess welfare concerns and avoid disproportionate outcomes.

There is no specific national guidance on the division of responsibilities between councils and the Environment Agency (EA) for removing boats from unauthorised moorings, as such situations typically involve shared and locally determined responsibilities. The EA engages with local authorities on the potential use of its powers to remove unregistered boats from its waterways. Where a boat is moored without permission on land owned by a local authority, the authority leads on arranging its removal with the EA providing support and coordination where appropriate.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to reply to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner of 11 November 2025.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Thank you for raising this matter. The department has investigated the case, and we have provided a response on Friday 13 March.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of HC6 in the new draft National Planning Policy Framework on the last public house in a locality.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 105500 on 20 January 2026.

We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

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 20 February 2026 to Question 109265 on Local Government: Elections, which (a) people and (b) organisations submitted evidence, excluding ordinary members of the public.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

A summary of the representations submitted is set out in the Explanatory Memorandum prepared at the time and can be found on gov.uk here. The government currently has no plans to publish individual representations received.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has considered updating the electoral offence of making a false statement of fact in relation to the candidate’s personal character or conduct to help tackle the dissemination of deepfake material which is designed to mislead.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government recognises the threat that deepfakes and misleading material pose to elections and the importance of ensuring that electoral law is fit for a modern electoral environment. The government continually assesses the effectiveness of electoral law. Where the law is found to be ineffective or outdated, we will take appropriate action.

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 Election Strategy document, Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections, July 2025, para 113, for what reason the Government now intends to repeal and not amend the Electoral Commission’s Strategy and Policy Statement; and what assessment has been made of the potential effect of the repeal of its guidance on family voting.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is taking decisive action to strengthen and protect UK democracy, including strengthening the Electoral Commission’s powers and extending its remit to ensure that it can effectively enforce the political finance framework.

We have listened to stakeholders and recognise how vital it is that the Commission is fearlessly independent, commands trust across the political spectrum and operates free from political influence.

That is why we are bringing forward amendments to repeal the Government’s powers to designate a Strategy and Policy Statement for the Electoral Commission. This will put beyond doubt the foundational principle of the Commission’s independence and further strengthen its ability to oversee elections into the future without fear or favour.

Family voting is illegal, and the Government takes any allegations extremely seriously. It is a criminal offence under the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023 to pressure someone to vote in a certain way in the polling station, and potential offences are a matter for the police. We do not consider that repealing the Strategy and Policy Statement will have any impact on enforcement of this offence.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued guidance to local billing authorities on (a) the hierarchy of liability for the second homes council tax premium and (b) who is responsible for paying (i) council tax and (ii) the second homes council tax premium if someone is occupying a property as a second home.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government has not published guidance on the assessment of council tax liability. Liability for council tax is determined by billing authorities who will consider the facts of each case against the hierarchy of liability set out in section 6 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

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 20 February 2026, to Question 111685, on Local Government Finance, if he will publish the underlying datasets referenced in each of the technical notes in the "Methodology for the Fair Funding Review reforms" section of the Settlement website.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The technical notes published as part of the final multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement published on 9 February 2026 include footnotes, which provide links to the underlying datasets such as the ONS’ population projections and the 2025 Indices of Multiple Deprivation.

A few underlying datasets, such as the National Pupil Database, contain sensitive or proprietary information and so have restricted access.

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 OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook, 3 March 2026, para 2.38, what information his Department provided to the OBR to assist them with their forecasts on net additions to the housing stock.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

OBR forecasts have no bearing on the government’s ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament which remains in place.

My Department supports the OBR’s forecasting by sharing the latest data on planning applications submitted, granted, and new housing construction starts, among other sources of evidence.

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 OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook, 3 March 2026, para 2.38, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the OBR forecasts on UK net additions to the housing stock on the housebuilding target for this Parliament.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

OBR forecasts have no bearing on the government’s ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament which remains in place.

My Department supports the OBR’s forecasting by sharing the latest data on planning applications submitted, granted, and new housing construction starts, among other sources of evidence.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Public Digital staff are currently seconded to the UK Government to work on the Test, Learn and Grow Programme.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Public Digital are a commercial partner to the Test, Learn and Grow programme, led by the Cabinet Office, and their staff are now secondees.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance has been given on whether Public Space Protection Orders can be used against unauthorised traveller sites.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not issue specific guidance on the use of PSPOs against individual crime or ASB types, including unauthorised traveller sites.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if he will take steps to help reduce family voting.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The Electoral Commission takes allegations of electoral fraud very seriously. It is a criminal offence to attempt to pressure someone to vote in a certain way. The Commission encourages anyone who believes an offence has occurred to report it to the police.

The Commission supports the electoral community to prevent, detect and take action against electoral fraud. It supports electoral administrators and polling staff to protect the integrity of the polls, including through guidance and its polling station handbook which sets out how to protect the secrecy of voting in polling stations.

The Commission also runs its ‘Your Vote is Yours Alone’ fraud prevention and awareness campaign – in partnership with Crimestoppers – to remind voters to complete their ballot independently and in private.

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 written statement of 2 March 2026, HCWS1375, on Flexible Voting Pilots, how many and which councils applied to be pilots; and what were the criteria used to select those which were chosen.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 84647 on 29 October 2025, UIN 118656 on 16 March 2026, and UIN 116760 on 25 March 2026.

The government have worked closely with the Electoral Commission in the design of the pilots, and will continue to work with them on their evaluation.

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 written statement of 2 March 2026, HCWS1375, on Flexible Voting Pilots, how much additional central government funding will be provided to each council to assist with the pilots in 2026.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 84647 on 29 October 2025, UIN 118656 on 16 March 2026, and UIN 116760 on 25 March 2026.

The government have worked closely with the Electoral Commission in the design of the pilots, and will continue to work with them on their evaluation.

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 Written Statement of 2 March 2026 on Flexible Voting Pilots, HCWS1375, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending such measures nationwide.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 84647 on 29 October 2025, UIN 118656 on 16 March 2026, and UIN 116760 on 25 March 2026.

The government have worked closely with the Electoral Commission in the design of the pilots, and will continue to work with them on their evaluation.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Electoral Commission was consulted by his department prior to the publication of the prospectus on local election pilots in May 2026.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 84647 on 29 October 2025, UIN 118656 on 16 March 2026, and UIN 116760 on 25 March 2026.

The government have worked closely with the Electoral Commission in the design of the pilots, and will continue to work with them on their evaluation.

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 OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook, 3 March 2026, para 3.41, and Table A.5, what estimate he has made of the potential impact on policy changes on referendum thresholds on the amount of council tax to be collected in (a) 2026-27, (b) 2027-28, (c) 2028-2029, (d) 2029-2030 and (e) 2030-31 financial years.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government has provided councils with longer-term certainty through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. As part of this, we have set out our intention to maintain 3% + 2% referendum principles for the vast majority of councils in each year of the multi-year Settlement. The OBR has based its forecasts to 2030-31 on this and noted that policy changes announced since November are forecast to add £0.4 billion to council tax receipts by 2030-31.

The Government has not taken any decisions on referendum principles beyond the period of the multi-year settlement. Council tax levels are ultimately a matter for local authorities.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what methodology his Department uses when calculating a council taxbase in the context of the Local Government Finance Settlement.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government believes it is right to continue to calculate Core Spending Power in line with the approach used at previous Settlements. We are therefore assuming each authority’s council tax base increases in line with the average annual growth in their council tax base between 2021-22 and 2025-26.

We are rewarding local authorities for housebuilding by not making a council tax base projection in Fair Funding Allocations awarded through the Local Government Finance Settlement. Any increase in council tax income from new homes will therefore be additional across the multi-year Settlement.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Equality Act 2010 on (a) the police and (b) local authorities ability to tackle unauthorised traveller sites.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The police and local authorities are required to act in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. The powers available to the police apply to anyone residing on land without consent and refusing to leave where the statutory conditions for enforcement are met, regardless of race or ethnicity, or any other protected characteristic. Enforcement powers must always be exercised fairly and in a way that respects the rights of all individuals.

The government keeps all legislation in this area under regular review to powers remain effective and proportionate. Operational decisions on the use of these powers rest with the police, working closely with local authorities.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to Answer of 10 February 2026 to Question 109627 on Music Venues and Public Houses: Business Rates, if she will publish information on pubs and live music venues relief.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

In 2026/27, all pubs and live music venues will benefit from 15% relief on their new business rates bills on top of the support announced at the Budget. Their bills will then be frozen in real terms for two years from April 2027.

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 20 January 2026 to Question 105396 on Eden Project: Morecambe, whether he has had discussions with representatives from (a) Lancaster City Council and (b) any other sponsors of the Eden Project on (i) changes to the number of domes built as part of the project and (ii) any other potential development options since July 2024.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I have had no engagement. My officials have as part of regular monitoring as per the answer given to Question UIN 120470 on 19 March 2026.