Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of funding for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 3 February, the Ministry published the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue.
As Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service is a county service, it is funded by the Central Government and council tax precept via its parent authority, Lincolnshire County Council.
This financial year, Lincolnshire County Council will have a core spending power of £740.3 million, an increase of 5.4 % compared to 2024/25.
The Ministry will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on how many days the Union Flag was flown on his Department's main buildings in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
MHCLG’s headquarters is 2 Marsham Street, London and the Union Flag has been flown every day throughout 2024 and 2025. In addition, our 2nd headquarters in i9,Wolverhampton also has a flag pole, although we do not maintain records of what flags have been flown when. The Union Flag is flown for the majority of the year and alternative flags are only flown according to official guidance issued by DCMS.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has spent money on promotion through social media influencers since July 2024.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department has not spent money on social media influencers since July 2024. Influencers can be effective in reaching audiences that the government and traditional marketing channels find hard to reach.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of additional electors who will be added to the electoral roll following the franchise being extended to 16 and 17 year olds in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As outlined in the recently published ‘Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections’, the Government believes that enabling 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in all UK elections will foster early and sustained participation in civic life and enhance engagement in our democratic processes. By delivering this manifesto commitment, we want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote.
In June 2025, the House of Commons Library published constituency-level estimates of the number of 16- and 17-year-olds across the UK, based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data from 2022 for Great Britain and 2023 for Northern Ireland. These figures provide indicative estimates of the population and should be treated as approximations rather than precise counts.
The Government recognises the importance of understanding the implications of this policy change. Accordingly, an Impact Assessment will be published alongside forthcoming legislation in due course. Legislation will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to require local referenda for local government reorganisation proposals in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Jim McMahon
Local government reorganisation will deliver better outcomes for residents and save significant money which can be reinvested in public services. Simpler structures with fewer politicians can improve democratic accountability as residents know who to look to and it is clearer who is responsible for what
We do not have any plans to require local referenda as part of the local government reorganisation process. Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, Parliament set out the statutory process for establishing unitary councils in two-tier areas. As set out in the invitation letter, areas must demonstrate how the local community has been engaged in developing proposals.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much HM Land Registry has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Following the coronavirus pandemic, HM Land Registry (HMLR) has enabled all staff to work both from home and from the office in line with the government’s 60% office attendance requirements.
Heads of departments have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service.
As part of this change, HMLR has, through its standard IT and equipment refresh programme, provided all staff with laptops and the necessary equipment to enable them to work in a hybrid fashion. This is now the standard departmental provision of equipment and as such the majority of the associated costs are not specific to home working.
As part of this approach, HMLR offers new staff appropriate furniture and peripheral IT equipment to enable them to work at home as part of this hybrid arrangement. It is estimated that this can cost up to £500 per person and is based upon need.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the (a) number and (b) proportion of people granted asylum status who are living in the private rented sector.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold data on the number, or the proportion, of people granted asylum who are living in the private rented sector.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many times the Islamophobia Definition Working Group has met.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The working group has met weekly since it was first established. The meetings included engagement with relevant stakeholders.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much her Department has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The cost to provide Digital equipment to enable staff to work effectively from home for the 3 years 07/07/2022 to 06/07/2025 is £272,301.85.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to (a) maintain and (b) promote local green spaces in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government is firmly committed to creating better access to parks and green spaces for all sections of society. Green spaces such as South Holland’s Ayscoughfee Gardens are an essential part of local social infrastructure which supports more connected, stronger communities. The MHCLG-owned Green Flag Award sets the national quality standard for parks and green spaces, the scheme aims to meet the needs of the communities they serve and has helped to transform thousands of parks and green spaces across the country
MHCLG has also established the Parks Working Group, which brings together sector experts with government officials to find innovative ways of managing parks, creating employment, hosting economic activities and encouraging inward investment. Finally, the government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) allows communities to designate land as Local Green Space, in order to protect green areas that are important to them.