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 11 November 2025 to Question 87322 on Community Relations: Expenditure, if he will place the monitoring and evaluation guidance in the Library; and if he will publish the (a) outputs and (b) outcomes that had to be reported.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The monitoring and evaluation guidance was intended solely for the local authorities in receipt of funding from the Community Cohesion and Resilience Programme, these were set out in Question UIN 85786 on 5 November 2025.
More detail on what has been delivered through Fund is set out in Question UIN 78216 on 21 October 2025.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference paragraph 4.28 of the Autumn Budget 2025, HC1492, published on 26 November 2025, how many hereditaments will pay the business rate transitional supplement in 2026-27; what estimate she has made of the cost of the supplement; and for what reason the transitional relief is no longer funded by the Exchequer.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Budget 2025, the Government announced updated property values independently assessed by the Valuation Office. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values (RVs) of properties are updated in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. Following growth in the tax base, all ratepayers will pay a lower tax rate than they do now.
Revenue raised from business rates is forecast to increase for a number of reasons. The tax rates change with inflation to maintain income for local authorities in real terms; the size of the tax base is forecast to increase; and temporary reliefs taper away. The Government is spending £4.3bn over the next three years on a support package, including protection for those seeing bills increase.
This includes a re-designed Transitional Relief (TR) scheme, to protect businesses from large bill increases as a result of the revaluation. This is worth £3.2 billion over the next three years and, compared to the 2023 TR scheme, provides more generous support for those paying higher tax rates (including the high-value multiplier).
To reduce the Exchequer cost the Government is introducing a 1p supplement in 2026/27 only, paid by ratepayers who do not receive TR or the Supporting Small Business scheme.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether single person discount will apply to the high value council tax surcharge.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The High Value Council Tax Surcharge levies a new charge on owners of residential property in England worth £2 million or more. The Government will consult on exemptions, reliefs, and the detail of a support scheme for those who struggle to pay the charge in the New Year.
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 job-related exemption will be based on the job-related tests in the Schedule of the Council Tax (Prescribed Classes of Dwellings) (England) Regulations 2003 for the second homes council tax premium.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The definition of a job-related dwelling, for the purposes of exceptions from the second homes premium, is set out in the 2003 regulations. The Government has issued guidance on council tax premiums including exceptions.
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, further to the written statement of 25 November 2025, HCWS1097, on Devolution and Growth, and further to the Visitor levy policy paper published on 26 November 2025, whether the monetary value of the overnight visitor levy will be increased or uprated each year.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy.
The Visitor Levy Consultation, running until 18 February 2026, sets out the details of the proposals for this power. This consultation will ensure the public, businesses, and local government can shape the design of the power to introduce a levy that will be devolved to local leaders.
The impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult with businesses and their communities on specific proposals including the rate at which the levy is set – which will determine the revenue raised. Rates vary across the world, for example from 2% in Turkey to 12.5% in Amsterdam. Mayors will also be required to produce an Impact Assessment.
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, further to the Visitor levy policy paper published on 26 November 2025, whether MHCLG has modelled what the percentage rate per night would be under their preferred option of a percentage fee.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy.
The Visitor Levy Consultation, running until 18 February 2026, sets out the details of the proposals for this power. This consultation will ensure the public, businesses, and local government can shape the design of the power to introduce a levy that will be devolved to local leaders.
The impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult with businesses and their communities on specific proposals including the rate at which the levy is set – which will determine the revenue raised. Rates vary across the world, for example from 2% in Turkey to 12.5% in Amsterdam. Mayors will also be required to produce an Impact Assessment.
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 estimate he has made of the potential annual revenue from the proposed overnight visitor levy; and whether an Impact Assessment has been produced.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy.
The Visitor Levy Consultation, running until 18 February 2026, sets out the details of the proposals for this power. This consultation will ensure the public, businesses, and local government can shape the design of the power to introduce a levy that will be devolved to local leaders.
The impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult with businesses and their communities on specific proposals including the rate at which the levy is set – which will determine the revenue raised. Rates vary across the world, for example from 2% in Turkey to 12.5% in Amsterdam. Mayors will also be required to produce an Impact Assessment.
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 10 November 2025 to Question 83467 on Councillors: Disclosure and Barring Service, what steps would be taken if a councillor has a criminal record.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Where a councillor has been convicted of criminal offences and receives a jail sentence (whether suspended or not) of three months or more, they are disqualified from either standing for or holding office as a local authority member for a period of five years.
The Local Government (Disqualification) Act 2022 introduced a further disqualification of registered sex offenders who may not receive a custodial sentence.
Councillors must declare anything that might disqualify them from standing for or holding local office, not doing so is a criminal offence.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the Autumn Budget 2025, for what reason alcohol duty is being uprated by RPI rather than CPI inflation.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Office for National Statistics, regulated by the UK Statistics Authority, produces a range of inflation statistics. The most widely used estimates of inflation, both by Government and the private sector, are the Consumer Prices Index and the Retail Prices Index (RPI).
Alcohol duty, like many other taxes expressed in cash terms, is indexed to RPI.
On the wider considerations about the extent to which RPI is embedded in the UK's economic and legal system, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 13 November 2025 to PQ UIN 88538.
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 Budget 2025, HC1492, 26 November 2025, Box 3.H, and to the HMT document, Effects of the business rates retail, hospitality and leisure multipliers and high value multiplier of 26 November 2025, what is the estimated saving to the Exchequer in 2026-27 relative to 2025-26 from central government no longer funding the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure rate relief.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base.
At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. Most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. The Valuation Office Agency has published statistics on changes in the rateable value of properties in the 2026 revaluation.
More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties.
The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since COVID. The 40% RHL relief was forecast to cost £1.7 billion in 2025/26, less than the £2.1 billion we are spending on Transitional Relief and Supporting Small Business relief in 2026/27. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit.
The new RHL tax rates will be 5p below the national tax rates. Making the RHL tax rates even lower would have led to an even higher tax rate for high-value properties.