Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion and amount of the (a) £18.3 billion police funding settlement and (b) the £746 million increase, is made up of council tax in England in 2026-27, according to the estimates made by the Home Office used to calculate the figures stated in the written statement of 28 January 2026, HCWS1285.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The final 2026-27 Police Funding Settlement confirmed funding to police forces in England and Wales of up to £18.4 billion, an increase of up to £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. Across England and Wales, this increase includes up to £364 million of additional funding from council tax precept.
In England specifically, up to £5.9 billion of funding will come from the police precept. This is an increase of up to £342 million compared to 2025-26.
As the police funding settlement precedes final decisions by policing bodies’ on their actual precept levels, published settlement figures are based on the referendum limit for policing bodies in England. The referendum limit determines the level of increase in Council Tax Band D bill levels above which a local referendum must be held. A £15 increase has been assumed for all policing bodies based on the referendum limits set out in MHCLG’s Local Government Finance Settlement. Published settlement figures are also based on tax base growth in line with the Autumn 2025 Office for Budget Responsibility forecast.
The tables accompanying the Written Ministerial Statement of 28 January 2026 provide a breakdown of precept funding for individual police forces. The overall precept funding, and increase compared to the 2025-26 settlement can also be calculated using these tables. The Written Ministerial Statement and accompanying tables can be found here: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.
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 15 January 2026 to Question 103895 on Local Government: Working Hours, if he will publish that letter.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I will deposit the letter in the House of Commons Library shortly.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of amending the Aarhus Convention provisions on costs in planning cases.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government remains committed to upholding its obligations under the Aarhus Convention, including maintaining access to environmental justice that is not prohibitively expensive. We set up the Environmental Costs Protection Regime (ECPR) in 2013 to enable this, and in May 2025 we committed to a series of measures to strengthen the regime. We keep all policies under review and, importantly, judges already have the power to vary the costs caps upwards or downwards, taking into account the particular circumstances of a case.
Between September and December 2024, the Government ran a Call for Evidence on access to justice in relation to the Aarhus Convention. This Call for Evidence considered the recommendations of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee regarding whether changes are required to the ECPR. The Government intends to publish a response to this Call for Evidence in due course.
Further, the Government published its response to the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce’s Review on Friday 13 March 2026. The Government recognises the concerns raised by the Taskforce regarding delays caused by a small number of unmeritorious legal challenges against nuclear developments and other major infrastructure projects, which could jeopardise our goal of reaching net zero by 2050. That is why we have accepted the Taskforce’s proposals in recommendation 20 to adjust the costs caps.
These adjustments will be undertaken with a view to prioritising genuine legal challenges, whilst supporting the Government’s growth mission by supporting us to build the necessary infrastructure essential for energy security, economic growth, and net zero. We will therefore invite the Civil Procedure Rule Committee to adjust the ECPR with this aim in mind.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the OBR Economic and Fiscal Outlook report of November 2025, Table A.5, what analysis her Department has done of the causes for the rise in estimated business rates receipts from £38.8 billion in 2028-29 to £41.9 billion in 2029-30.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Business rates receipts are forecast independently by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Information on changes to the Business Rates receipts can be found in the OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook report (paragraphs 4.38 to 4.40).
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate has the Office for National Statistics made of the average house price of a (a) residential dwelling and (b) primary residence dwelling, in each (i) local authority area and (ii) Parliamentary constituency.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Rt Hon. gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 6th March is attached.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, further to the National Licensing Policy Framework published on November 2025, for what reason the guidance is non-statutory, and what consideration was given to issuing it as supplementary guidance under Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 to give it the same weight as the current Section 182 licensing guidance.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Licensing Act 2003 provides only for statutory guidance to be issued under section 182, which is limited to guidance on the exercise of functions within the Act and the promotion of the four licensing objectives. The National Licensing Policy Framework (NLPF) supports wider regeneration and wider economic objectives that sit outside the scope of section 182 guidance and do not override the statutory licensing framework.
The Government is keeping the effectiveness of the NLPF under review and is considering how best to strengthen its impact within the existing legislative framework, should it not have the desired effect.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of support provided to Hon Members in providing democratic representation to registered overseas electors, assigned to their constituency, through the duration of a Parliament.
Answered by Nick Smith
The Commission provides a range of services to Members to support them in their Parliamentary duties. It has not made a specific assessment of how these services support MPs in their representation of registered overseas electors.
It is for each individual MP to determine how best to perform their duties, including how they use services to support their representation of constituents.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, with reference to the Government Legal Service publication, “the Judge over your shoulder”, para 3.15, what supplementary advice or guidance have the Law Officers or GLS given on whether a reconsideration of a Ministerial decision requires a new Minister to take the fresh decision.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
With reference to the publication, JOYS: The Judge Over Your Shoulder, the Government Legal Department is not aware of any supplementary advice or guidance on whether a reconsideration of a Ministerial decision requires a new Minister to take the fresh decision.
In addition, it is a longstanding convention that whether the Law Officers have advised or have not advised, and the content of their advice, must not be disclosed outside government without their authority
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 February 2026, to Question 110398, on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Publicity, in what formats does his department hold data on expenditure on publishing content in foreign languages.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
MHCLG holds information about suppliers that have undertaken translation activities for the Department. The information will not differentiate between whether the translatory service was undertaken to support published content or for any other reason, nor would it consistently differentiate between translation work undertaken into the Welsh language or other languages.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the Commission has made of the structural integrity, water ingress and building condition of (a) Portcullis House and (b) its atrium.
Answered by Nick Smith
The Commission’s assessment of the structural integrity, water ingress and condition of Portcullis House and its atrium is informed by surveys and ongoing inspections as part of the routine management of the Parliamentary Estate.
(a) Portcullis House – The building structure currently shows no visible signs of distress. More detailed intrusive surveys are scheduled for completion by summer recess 2026 to provide a fuller assessment. The causes of water ingress to the main roof have been identified and are being addressed through short‑term mitigation works, with longer‑term repairs proposed through the Portcullis House roofs project. The general condition of the building is continuously monitored by the Asset Management and Maintenance teams, with routine maintenance carried out as required. Additional projects are due to begin shortly to replace components, such as heating and cooling equipment, that have reached the end of their serviceable life.
(b) Atrium – Assessments to date indicate that the timber and steel structure of the atrium roof is generally in reasonable condition. A programme of detailed and intrusive surveys will be completed by the summer to review the structure and the overall condition of the glazed roof. Temporary works to reduce water ingress are planned for completion by summer recess 2026, with longer‑term repairs or replacement works to follow once scope of works and the associated funding has been approved.