Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the press release entitled Conclusion of His Majesty The King’s free Portrait Scheme, of 28 November 2024, what the percentage take-up figure was for principal councils in England.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
His Majesty The King’s free Portrait Scheme was a voluntary programme offering a free, framed portrait of The King to any eligible public institution that requested one.
Following the conclusion of the scheme, a breakdown of the take up, including percentage take-up figures were published on gov.uk.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government's plan to absorb the cost of SEND provision from 2028-29 within the Department for Education Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit, whether it is her Department's policy for local government to absorb the estimated historic £14 billion of Dedicated Schools Grant deficits.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
To deliver these reforms, the department is putting more money into the education system, with £7 billion more being spent on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support compared to 2025/26. The department’s budgets will increase above previously planned funding at Autumn Budget 2025 by £3.5 billion in 2028/29 to support investment in the SEND system. In every year of this parliament, core funding for schools and SEND is expected to increase, subject to future Spending Reviews. As we invest in the system, we will update the SEND Code of Practice and legal requirements for support to be provided in all mainstream education settings from early years to post-16, thereby strengthening the law to make sure children and young people receive the help and support they need.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether there is a unified Unique Address Reference Number (UARN) or Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) for residential dwellings in (a) England and (b) Wales.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs) are in place for residential (and other forms) of properties in England and Wales. Unique Address Reference Numbers (UARNs), as supplied by HMRC, are linked to Ordnance Survey address data products. The data is made available under license through the OS Data Hub, including free at the point of use data to public sector users through the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA).
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 26 March 2026 to Question 122202 on Public Houses: Business Rates, whether a reimbursement applies to the Greater London Authority Crossrail business rate supplement, should a billing authority consider whether to apply the 15% pub relief to the business rate supplement.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Where business rate reliefs are implemented under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, such as the Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief Scheme, Business Rates Supplements are adjusted to reflect the percentage relief provided by those schemes in line with the requirements of section 13(7) of the Business Rates Supplement Act 2009. It is for the 33 London billing authorities and the Greater London Authority to ensure that the required determinations and resulting adjustments are made to ratepayer bills in respect of BRS liabilities.
The Greater London Authority is not reimbursed for the lost revenue arising from government funded discretionary reliefs awarded under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, such as the 15% pub relief, when this relief is applied to a Business Rates Supplement (BRS). While these reliefs are applied on a parallel basis to reliefs on Non-Domestic Rates, the Greater London Authority bears the entire cost in respect of the resulting reduction in BRS revenues.
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 5 February 2026 to Question 109273 on Licensed Premises: Business Rates, what estimate he has made of the cost of the compensation in 2026-27; and whether it will be allocated as part of the final Local Government Finance Settlement.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The department will publish the cost of compensating local authorities for the relief as part of the 2026-27 NNDR3 outturn data reconciliation, following the end of the 2026-27 financial year.
Local authorities will be fully compensated for the loss of income associated with granting the pubs and live music venues relief they award against the main business rates liability.
The Greater London Authority is not reimbursed for the lost revenue arising from government funded discretionary reliefs awarded under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, such as the 15% Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief, when this relief is applied to a Business Rates Supplement (BRS). While these reliefs are applied on a parallel basis to reliefs on Non-Domestic Rates, the Greater London Authority bears the entire cost in respect of the resulting reduction in BRS revenues.
Business Improvement District (BID) levies are established under separate legislation from the business rates system and are payable in addition to non-domestic rates.
Business rates reliefs granted under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, such as the Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief, apply only to a ratepayer’s liability for non-domestic rates and do not apply to BID levies. These reliefs therefore reduce a ratepayer’s liability to non-domestic rates only. Individual BIDs may allow for a reduction in a levy in line with their own schemes but this is a matter for individual BIDs to determine.
Where a billing authority grants discretionary business rates reliefs (including reliefs under section 47 of the 1988 Act), the authority is compensated for the resulting loss of non-domestic rates income via grant paid under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003. This compensation relates solely to reductions in non-domestic rates liability and does not extend to BID levies. Accordingly, there is no provision for central reimbursement in respect of BID levy amounts.
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, whether local billing authorities will be compensated for the cost of the new 15% pub relief if they grant the pub relief to the (a) business rate supplements levied by the Mayor of London and (b) business improvement district levies on business rates over and above the main business rate liability.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The department will publish the cost of compensating local authorities for the relief as part of the 2026-27 NNDR3 outturn data reconciliation, following the end of the 2026-27 financial year.
Local authorities will be fully compensated for the loss of income associated with granting the pubs and live music venues relief they award against the main business rates liability.
The Greater London Authority is not reimbursed for the lost revenue arising from government funded discretionary reliefs awarded under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, such as the 15% Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief, when this relief is applied to a Business Rates Supplement (BRS). While these reliefs are applied on a parallel basis to reliefs on Non-Domestic Rates, the Greater London Authority bears the entire cost in respect of the resulting reduction in BRS revenues.
Business Improvement District (BID) levies are established under separate legislation from the business rates system and are payable in addition to non-domestic rates.
Business rates reliefs granted under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, such as the Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief, apply only to a ratepayer’s liability for non-domestic rates and do not apply to BID levies. These reliefs therefore reduce a ratepayer’s liability to non-domestic rates only. Individual BIDs may allow for a reduction in a levy in line with their own schemes but this is a matter for individual BIDs to determine.
Where a billing authority grants discretionary business rates reliefs (including reliefs under section 47 of the 1988 Act), the authority is compensated for the resulting loss of non-domestic rates income via grant paid under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003. This compensation relates solely to reductions in non-domestic rates liability and does not extend to BID levies. Accordingly, there is no provision for central reimbursement in respect of BID levy amounts.
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 plans to revoke the Electoral Commission Strategy and Policy Statement, what assessment has been made of the consequences of repealing its provisions on (a) electoral fraud and (b) the secrecy of the ballot inside polling stations.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is taking decisive action to strengthen and protect UK democracy. We recognise how vital it is that the Electoral 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.
Electoral law already provides robust protections against personation, bribery, and other forms of electoral fraud, all of which are a matter for the police. For example, it is a criminal offence under the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023 to pressure someone to vote in a certain way in the polling station.
The revocation of the Strategy and Policy Statement will not have any impact on the enforcement of electoral fraud.
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, which organisations responded to the Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/ Islamophobia Definition call for evidence.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Working Group launched a Call for Evidence which closed on Sunday 20 July. It was open to the public and any individual or organisation was able to submit evidence. The government does not routinely publish the details of individual respondents to calls for evidence.
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 plans to commence Section 9 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009, what consideration has been made of whether the new Section 54A requirements can be fulfilled through electronic submissions and electronic consent.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has committed to commencing section 54A of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, as inserted by section 9 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009, and intends to do so before the end of this Parliament.
The Electoral Commission is responsible for producing guidance to support compliance with political finance rules. The Department does not intend to issue separate guidance.
Matters relating to the practical operation of the declaration requirement, including whether declarations may be made electronically, are for the Electoral Commission to consider as part of its role in supporting compliance.
There is presently no intention to commence sections 10 and 11 of the 2009 Act.
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 18 March 2026, to Question 120064, on Electoral Register, whether the asymmetric introduction of automatic registration include implementation and rollout by type of data-matching data.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My officials are currently working on the design of the direct registration pilots, which includes consideration of different options for the use of national and local datasets to support direct registration. Further details will be available in due course, and as previously made clear, will also be set out in secondary legislation subject to the affirmative procedure.