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 4 April 2025 to Question 42631 on Historic Environment Records, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of historic environment records in (a) increasing certainty in the planning process and (b) ensuring that heritage increases economic growth; and if she will publish a timetable for implementing (i) section 230 of and (ii) other outstanding measures from the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Following Royal Assent of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act (LURA) in October 2023, a small number of provisions were commenced by the previous government, for example relating to pavement licensing, planning enforcement and certain reforms to the compulsory purchase process.

Building on these measures, in September last year, a power enabling local authorities to bring forward affordable housing, national health or educational facilities through the use of compulsory purchase without paying ‘hope value’ compensation where justified in the public interest was fully commenced.

On 25 May, the government launched a technical consultation on implementing measures to improve the transparency of build rates from new residential development using powers in the LURA. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the government intends bring forward the regulations to implement these measures at the earliest practical opportunity with the new build out reporting framework coming into force from 2026.

The government has not undertaken an assessment of the potential merits of Historic Environment Records or set out an implementation timetable for Section 230 of the Act.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vehicles without valid Vehicle Excise Duty have been identified through automatic number plate recognition systems in the most recent 12 month period for which data is available; and what steps her Department is taking to improve vehicle excise duty compliance.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In the 12 months between June 2024 and May 2025, automatic number plate recognition systems operated by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and its contractors, generated 142,031 enforcement cases for vehicles identified as being unlicensed.

The DVLA operates a comprehensive package of measures to tackle vehicle tax evasion. These range from reminder letters, penalties and court prosecutions through to the use of automatic number plate recognition systems cameras, wheel clamping and the removal of unlicensed vehicles.

The DVLA aims to make vehicle tax easy to pay but hard to avoid, ensuring processes are regularly reviewed and refined to encourage compliance and to deliver a robust enforcement regime. These measures led to an overall compliance rate of 98.7% in the last roadside survey undertaken by the Department for Transport in 2023.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bob Blackman (Chair); Jess Brown-Fuller; Jonathan Davies; Alison

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bob Blackman (Chair); Jonathan Davies; Will Stone; Martin Vickers

Found: Butler-Sloss (Chair) Catherine Atkinson Juliet Campbell Tom Collins The Earl of Cork and Orrery Jonathan Davies

Found: Allister Rebecca Smith Rachael Maskell Andrew Rosindell Sir Julian Smith Dame Karen Bradley Jonathan Davies

Found: _NC9 Sarah Bool Rebecca Paul Adam Jogee Rachael Maskell Andrew Rosindell Jonathan Davies .

Found: _NC9 Sarah Bool Rebecca Paul Adam Jogee Rachael Maskell Andrew Rosindell Jonathan Davies .

Found: Antonia Bance Patricia Ferguson Uma Kumaran Dame Harriett Baldwin Adam Jogee Maya Ellis Jonathan Davies

Found: three MPs during the second reading debate, Ellie Chowns (Green), Jim Dickson (Labour) and Jonathan Davies

Republic of Korea APPG
Tuesday 10th June 2025

Found: APPG RoK Info – May 2025 Members Sir Edward Davey MP - Chair Lib Dems Kingston & Surbiton Jonathan Davies

Republic of Korea APPG
Tuesday 10th June 2025

Found: Tuesday, 18th March 2025 Attendees: Sir Edward Davey MP Liberal Democrat Kingston & Surbiton Jonathan Davies

Local Government APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Jonathan Davies MP (Labour) 10.Jim Dickson MP (Labour) 11.Lee Dillon MP (Liberal Democrat) 12.Will Forster