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 his Department will put forward proposals for increasing local government transparency under the next round of the UK National Action Plan for Open Government.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department keeps this issue under review. A wide range of mechanisms exist to ensure transparency and accountability of local authorities. The Local Government Transparency Code 2015 requires authorities to publish a range of information about their activities including spending, procurement and assets. Authorities are also required to produce annual accounts which are independently assured by an external auditor. The Ministry is working to improve transparency through reforms to the local audit system which will establish the Local Audit Office to oversee the system. The Local Outcomes Framework will provide outcomes based performance measurement against key national priorities delivered at the local level.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the command paper, Protecting What Matters, CP 1540, 9 March 2026, page 38, when the first State of Extremism report will be published.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
We will seek to publish the first report later this year. It will set out the threat picture, and will include information around specific ideologies including Islamism, the Extreme Right and Extreme Left. It will provide an overview of extremist groups as well as the action taken by government and partners to counter extremism.
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 107992, on Lichfields, whether their work was awarded by open competition, or via direct award.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The contract in question was awarded directly following failed competitions. This information was published within the contract award notice which can be found on gov.uk here.
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 19 March 2026, to Question 120055, on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Flexible Working, whether time taken for lunch counts towards the 37 hour limit; and whether a full-time civil servant would be permitted to work from 9am to 6.15pm from Monday to Thursday under a compressed four day week.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Staff who work full-time, have the following conditioned hours per week:
If they were appointed to the Civil Service within the department on or after 1 June 2013:
Net hours do not include meal breaks.
Staff working a compressed four-day week have the flexibility to agree their daily working pattern to reach the required conditioned hours per week. As provided, the example hours would not be suitable owing to the reasons given.
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 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Flexible Working, what are the typical working hours that a full-time staff member on compressed hours is expected to work during their four day week; and how does this compare with the expected working hours of a full-time staff member during a five day working week.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Staff who work full-time, have the following conditioned hours per week:
If they were appointed to the Civil Service within the department on or after 1 June 2013:
Net hours do not include meal breaks.
Staff working a compressed four-day week have the flexibility to agree their daily working pattern to reach the required conditioned hours per week.
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, if he will provide a breakdown of the £63 million of funding to support local elections; which local authorities will receive it; what is the methodology; and whether the funding is being taken from any other programme at 2025-26 year end.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt. Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.
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, when he plans to reply to the correspondence from the Rt hon. Member for Braintree of 18 February 2026.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt. Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.
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 his oral statement of 23 February 2026, Official Report, Col.80, on Local Government Reorganisation, on how many occasions since July 2024 have Ministers in his Department made a re-consideration of a Ministerial decision following legal advice or a legal challenge; and in how many cases was the decision made by a different Minister.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
It is a longstanding principle that government does not comment on or publish legal advice.
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 116483, on MHCLG: Publicity, if he will list each supplier who have undertaken translation activities for the department since July 2024; and the amount of expenditure on each supplier.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt. Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.
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 guidance, A Definition of Anti-Muslim Hostility, section 6, of 9 March 2026, which body or authority will determine or interpret the public interest test.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt. Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.