Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an estimate of (a) the number of UK citizens living overseas who are eligible to register to vote and (b) projected levels of such registrations in the next six months.
Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Impact Assessment on the Representation of the People (Overseas Electors etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023: The Representation of the People (Overseas Electors etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023.
The department has not made any projections of levels of registrations of UK citizens living overseas in the next six months.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to end gazundering.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government’s future legislative agenda will be set out in the usual way.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to take steps to provide additional funding to local authorities to cover the cost of increasing the national living wage for social care staff.
Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2023/24 made available up to £59.7 billion for local government in England, an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £5.1 billion or 9.4% in cash terms on 2022/23. The government will look in the round at sector spending when finalising budgets at next year’s finance settlement, as we do every year. This will include considering the impact of inflation and other wider economic circumstances.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to publish the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
As with previous years, the government will bring forward its proposals for the Local Government Finance Settlement 2024-25 in the usual way towards the end of the calendar year.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department issues on the criteria residents need to satisfy to qualify for the over-65 discount scheme for a reduction in council tax operated by local authorities.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
While local council tax support schemes are administered by local authorities, the Government sets out the circumstances in which pensioners are eligible for a reduction in council tax in The Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2012 Regulations. These Regulations are updated annually.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what impact assessment his Department (a) undertook or (b) asked local councils to provide before waiving the cap on council tax increases for Slough, Thurrock and Croydon.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
All decisions were made in line with normal processes, and appropriate impact assessment in line with duties.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to provide training for (a) polling station and (b) returning officers on determining the veracity of official documents and photo IDs before the elections in May 2023.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 165270 on 17th March 2023.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the progress made by local authorities on the implementation of voter ID requirements ahead of the May 2023 elections.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 165270 on 17th March 2023.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to bring forward legislative proposals to repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
This is a complex issue and that is why a review is the right course of action and we are looking at all options.
Work is ongoing and the Government will update on its findings in due course.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when his Department plans to implement the recommendations made by the Law Commission in March 2017 on transparency of fees and charges in retirement properties.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
The Government responded to the Law Commission in March 2019, thanking them for the report and agreeing to implement the majority of the recommendations. The Government is further considering two of the recommendations, on succession rights and a database of leasehold retirement properties with event fees.
Given the impact of Covid-19 on the legislative agenda, and the Government’s wider priorities to restart the economy, we will bring forward legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.