Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether organisations subject to a policy of non-engagement are barred from (a) applying for and (b) receiving government funding.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Organisations who do not meet due diligence checks will not be eligible for government funding. It is up to each department to carry out due diligence when choosing to engage with, or fund, any organisation or individual and, if asked, we will advise and share information to help others inform their decisions.
As announced in the Protecting What Matters publication last week, we are currently updating and embedding the 2024 engagement principles which will assist public bodies to not confer legitimacy, funding or influence on extremist groups.
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, pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2026, to Question 116756, on Independent Review into Civil Unrest in Leicester, what is the timetable for publishing the report that was received by his Department on 1 July 2025.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is taking the time to review the Panel’s report to ensure that its response is in the best interest of communities in Leicester and beyond. We will respond in due course. Our ‘Protecting What Matters’ Action Plan, published on 9 March, considered learnings from the events of Leicester in 2022 and has set out measures we are taking to build social cohesion and protect our communities from harm, such as establishing an Advisory Board to support local authorities when tensions arise, and tackling harmful content in online spaces.
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 command paper, Protecting What Matters, CP 1540, 9 March 2026, page 16, what steps he is taking to promote Englishness and a national sense of identity in England.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
A great strength of our national identity is its pluralism. Whether we are from England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland; whatever our religion or belief; whether we were born here or abroad; or whatever the colour of our skin, we can all embrace our shared identity, celebrate what we have in common, and be proud of our country’s long history and heritage.
As set out in Protecting What Matters, we will set clear national integration expectations for communities across the country, focused on stronger social connections, shared identity, English language proficiency, and participation in work. We will also strengthen the national curriculum and qualifications in England to ensure high quality teaching of our nation’s history.
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 his statement of 9 March 2026, Official Report, Column 80, on Social Cohesion Action Plan, if he will publish the full report from the independent working group.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As stated in their terms of reference, the advice submitted by the anti-Muslim hatred/ Islamophobia definition Working Group was private advice for Ministers' internal consideration.
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, what guidance has been given on the change of use and conversion of former school buildings to residential accommodation.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has not issued specific guidance on the change of use and conversion of former school buildings to residential accommodation.
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, pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2025, to Question 75184, on Fast Food: Planning, what his Department's policy if on whether sandwich shops are classed as fast food outlets.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As per my answer to Question UIN 75184 on 12 September 2025, it is for local planning authorities, when receiving a planning application, to consider whether, given the type of food and service to be provided at the location proposed, they consider the outlet to be either a hot food takeaway or a fast-food outlet.
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, sought feedback on the application of the term ‘fast-food outlets’ in planning decisions, and whether any further clarity could be provided on the types of establishments this policy should apply to.
We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.
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, what guidance his Department has issued on the change of use and conversion of former school buildings to residential accommodation.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has not issued specific guidance on the change of use and conversion of former school buildings to residential accommodation.
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, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the new Chinese Embassy (a) follows its planning permission and conditions and (b) complies with building regulations.
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 110795 on 12 February 2026.
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, pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2026, to Question 110793, on MHCLG: Flexible Working, what is the reason for the number of staff on a 4 day week on compressed hours rising from 214 in January 2025 to 339 in January 2026.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Staff have a statutory right to apply for flexible working at any point during their employment.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the activities of the National Education Union on community cohesion.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education plays a vital role in preparing our children and young people for life in a modern and diverse Britain. Accordingly, the department plays a key role in the government’s efforts to strengthen social cohesion, as outlined in the recently published social cohesion action plan ‘Protecting What Matters’.
As part of these actions to strengthen social cohesion, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has launched an independent review into antisemitism in schools and colleges in England, led by Sir David Bell.