Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
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 answer of 14 November 2025 to Question HL11496 on Sites of Special Scientific Interest: Ebbsfleet, what the purpose was of the site visit to the Swanscombe Peninsula Site of Special Scientific Interest; and whether the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation made representations during that visit.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The purpose of the visit in question was to share knowledge and expertise between DEFRA, MHCLG, Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) and Natural England about how to best to harmonise development and nature recovery, drawing on insights from EDC and Natural England’s joint working on this recently designated site.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations has her Department received on the closure of the (a) Smithfield and (b) Billingsgate market.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has not received any representations about the closure and relocation of Smithfield and Billingsgate markets.
Defra is not responsible for Smithfield or Billingsgate markets. This is a matter for the City of London Corporation.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Box 3.H, and Table 4.1 of the Autumn Budget 2025, HC 1492, 26 November 2025, and to the HMT document, Effects of the business rates retail, hospitality and leisure multipliers and high value multiplier of 26 November 2025, what estimate she has made of the total gross revenue to be raised from the high-value multiplier in 2026-27.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The exchequer impact of the new high-value multiplier and RHL multipliers can be found on page 30 of the ‘Policy costings’ document, published at the Budget and found online at this address:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/692872fd2a37784b16ecf676/Budget_2025-Policy_Costings.pdf
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that Government funding for public health is not use to promote disinformation about vaccines.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service bodies and upper tier and unitary local authorities in England are responsible for making effective, appropriate use of the resources allocated to them, including funding for public health. Local authorities receive a Public Health Grant from the Department, totalling £3.884 billion in 2025/26. This grant, other than funding allocated to Greater Manchester authorities via their retained business rate arrangement, is ring-fenced for use on public health functions, and the local authority Director of Public Health must certify annually that the funding has been used for appropriate purposes. NHS England commissions national NHS public health services, including national immunisation programmes. It does so to evidence-based standards and is accountable for performance to the Department.
The Government is focused on combating vaccine misinformation as part of its 10-Year Health Plan, working with local authorities and community groups to support vaccine trust.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2025, to Question 89453, on Deputy Prime Minister: Admiralty House, what was the monetary value of the council tax bill issued to the Government by Westminster City Council in March 2025 for payment from 1 April 2025.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Admiralty House sits within Council Tax Band H and details of the bands, current Council Tax charges, additional premiums and published notices about Council Tax can be found at the following page: https://www.westminster.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-band-and-charges
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate the Valuation Office Agency has made of the number of hereditaments that will pay the high-value multiplier by (a) sector type and (b) Special Category Code in 2026-27 based on the new Rating List.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Statistics by sector type and special category code (Scat) as a result of the 2026 Revaluation and publication of the draft 2026 Rating List are published here: Change in rateable value of rating lists, 2026 Revaluation (CSV)
The government has also, on Budget Day, published information on the effects of the business rates retail, hospitality and leisure multipliers, and the high value multiplier.
A rise in rateable value (RV) may not result in a similar rise in bills. Local councils calculate business rates bills by taking the rateable value and multiplying this by a value known as a multiplier and then applying any reliefs. Confirmation of the Budget package and the Non-Domestic Rating Multipliers for 2026/2027 is also published on gov.uk.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the new council tax surcharge bands on property prices at the thresholds of each band.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Various factors affect the sale price of residential properties. In its recent Economic and Fiscal outlook, the independent Office for Budget Responsibility forecast that house prices will rise every year, growing by ‘just under 3 per cent in 2025 and average 2 ½ percent annual growth from 2026’.
The policy costing for the surcharge assumes an average price impact on affected properties of 2.5% with greater effects around the band thresholds.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the publication of the draft Rating List of 26 November 2025, if he will publish the changes in average Rateable Values for each Special Category Code, compared to the previous Rating List, according to information held by the Valuation Office Agency.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Statistics on changes in the rateable value of non-domestic properties as a result of the 2026 Revaluation and publication of the draft 2026 Rating List are published here: Change in rateable value of rating lists, 2026 Revaluation
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when film studio relief on business rates will be applied in relation to the high-value supplement in 2026-27.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The creative industries play a key role in driving economic growth, contributing £124.6 billion to the economy in 2022, and supporting over 2 million jobs.
At Budget 2025, the Government announced that it is maintaining the 40 per cent relief for eligible film studios in England on their gross business rates bills until March 2034. This is backdated to 1 April 2024, providing stability and support for the creative industries.
Business rates bills are calculated by applying the relevant multiplier first and so film studios will receive 40 per cent relief on their gross bill.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to paragraph 2.58 of the OBR, Economic and Fiscal Outlook, November 2025, CP1439, 26 November 2025, whether there is a government estimate of the cumulative net additions between 2024-25 to 2029-30 for England as a whole.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt. hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 19066 on 20 December 2024