Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with the Mayor of London on whether funding for green belt reviews will be used to review the use of Metropolitan Open Land.

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

The government has awarded the Greater London Authority £770,000 to undertake a Green Belt review in conjunction with 11 London boroughs. A further six London boroughs have also each received £70,000 to undertake Green Belt reviews. The precise use of this funding is at the discretion of the recipient authority.

Metropolitan Open Land is a local designation used by the Mayor of London in his London Plan. Policy relating to the designation, as well as the current extent of Metropolitan Open Land, is entirely a matter for the Mayor.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the press notice entitled New steering group to champion disabled people in elected office, published on 9 June 2025, how the members of the working group from political parties were selected; and whether political parties were consulted in the selection process.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

It is this government’s ambition to see more disabled people in public office. We have been clear that we will champion disabled people’s rights and work closely with them so that disabled people’s views and voices are at the heart of decision-making.

On 9 June we announced a new Access to Elected Office Steering Group to support the development of a new fund to help with the disability-related expenses of gaining elected office. Drawing on their lived experience and expertise of disability, accessing funding or standing for elected office, members will work with the Minister for Social Security and Disability to ensure the fund is effective in increasing disability representation in future elections.

Members for the steering group were chosen based on their experience as disabled candidates, their expertise and advocacy work in disability inclusion, and their lived experience with disability. Political parties were not consulted during this process. Affiliation to political parties was not a criterion for selection of individuals, though efforts were made to ensure cross-party representation.

This approach was adopted to maintain focus on the core objective of the steering group - improving access to elected office for disabled people.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 30 May 2025 to Question 52864 on Admiralty House, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of repurposing the two unoccupied flats in Admiralty House.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office of 27 May 2025, Official Report, PQ 43478.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 30 May 2025 to Question 52864 on Admiralty House, on what date the last assessment of market rent of the building was undertaken.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Hon Member to my answer of 27 May 2025, Official Report, PQ 52864.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question HL7763 on Asylum: Housing, what the absolute number of individual hotels that housed the 32,345 people is as of 31 March 2025; and what was the equivalent number of hotels used in June 2024.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 31 March to Question 41380.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much (a) her Department and (b) its contractors have spent on the rent or lease of (i) caravan and mobile homes and (ii) park homes for housing asylum seekers since July 2024.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Zero.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much (a) her Department and (b) its contractors have spent on the capital purchase of mobile and caravan homes for asylum seekers since July 2024.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Zero.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question HL7763 on Asylum: Housing, whether such hotel figures include housing in former communal accommodation.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The definition of each type of category can be found in the notes section of the published statistics.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much will be allocated to London from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in each year of the Spending Review period; and what the outturn allocation was in each year since the creation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will not continue beyond the 2025-26 transition year. As announced at the recent Spending Review, the government is introducing a new, targeted approach to support growth, tackle deprivation, and restore pride to communities.

UKSPF allocations for local authorities are published on gov.uk here. An annual breakdown of 2022-25 allocations are also published on gov.uk here.

The Greater London Authority spent its entire UKSPF allocation of £144,444,970 for the 2022-25 period, and has been allocated £62,981,782 for 2025-26.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding she plans to provide to each nation of the UK through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in each year of the Spending Review period.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will not continue beyond the 2025-26 transition year. As announced at the recent Spending Review, the government is introducing a new, targeted approach to support growth, tackle deprivation, and restore pride to communities.

UKSPF allocations for local authorities are published on gov.uk here. An annual breakdown of 2022-25 allocations are also published on gov.uk here.

The Greater London Authority spent its entire UKSPF allocation of £144,444,970 for the 2022-25 period, and has been allocated £62,981,782 for 2025-26.

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 Department's publication entitled Civil Service 2024/2025 External Expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, published on 30 May 2025, if he will list the suppliers and the individual amounts of expenditure that related to the £4,853 of expenditure on (a) Black History Month events and (b) Inclusion Allies event.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Expenditure of £4,853 was approved by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 29 October 2024 in line with Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance.

A sum of £4,184 was paid to Inclusive Employers Ltd for the training of Inclusion Allies.

A sum of £669 was paid to Diversify World Ltd for delivering of a training seminar and support materials.

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 her Department's publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, what the specific goods or services commissioned from MANNING GOTTLIEB OMD were entitled (a) Social housing- Traditional broadcast ra and (b) StreetLink Rough sleeping campaign.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department engages Manning Gottlieb OMD as the government's mandated media buying agency in line with Crown Commercial Service agreements.

The 'Social housing- Traditional broadcast ra' expenditure covered commercial radio advertisements on stations including Capital FM and Kiss. These advertisements were part of our Make Things Right campaign, which encourages social housing tenants experiencing issues with their accommodation to engage effectively with the complaints process. Radio advertising effectively reaches tenants at scale and directs them to our campaign website for comprehensive support on gov.uk here.

The 'StreetLink Rough sleeping campaign' expenditure funded print advertisements in the Metro newspaper alongside digital advertising across multiple social media platforms including Meta, Reddit, WeAre8 and LinkedIn. This campaign promoted the StreetLink service and educated the public about essential information needed when reporting people sleeping rough, to improve the quality of referrals through the service.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question 54292 on Financial Services: Environment Protection, what information he holds on which councils offer municipal green bonds.

Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government does not hold information on which councils offer municipal green bonds centrally. It is the responsibility of the local authority to advertise and communicate bond offers at the time of their launch.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what services are provided to the Deputy Prime Minister without charge in relation to her official residence.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Deputy Prime Minister’s flat does not receive any dedicated services without charge. Costs are discharged in the usual way as has been the case for successive governments.

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 June 2025 to Question 53914 on Islam, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of Islamist sectarianism in England since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 53914 on 5 June 2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, if she will publish the full specification of the research commissioned from Thomas Coram Foundation.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Thomas Coram Foundation research contract was commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of the Supporting Families programme in 2023. When the programme moved to the Department for Education (DfE) as part of a machinery of government change in 2024 the management of, and funding for, the research contract moved to DfE. The contract continues to be held in MHCLG for commercial reasons.

The research contract aims to test whether systemic practice is an effective way to work with families to achieve positive outcomes. It is a randomised control trial working with 12 local authorities. The contract ends in March 2026.

Further information is available in the Supporting Families annual report, which was published on 9 June 2025 and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-families-programme-annual-report-2024-to-2025.

As per research protocol, DfE will publish relevant documents and findings associated with the contract at appropriate points in the research.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether district councils with borough status that are abolished will be able to maintain their borough status through Charter Trustees under her local government restructuring plans.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government will ensure that the ceremonial rights and privileges of an area will be maintained after any reorganisation of local government and will work with local leaders to ensure that areas retain these, following the submission of proposals from local councils, and a decision on which proposal, if any, to implement.

Where specific provision is needed in legislation to maintain ceremonial privileges, such as the establishment of Charter Trustees, then this will be considered, as necessary, reflecting the circumstances in each area, as has previously been done for other areas undergoing local government reorganisation.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's planned timetable is for responding to the consultation on making the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse statutory, which closed in April 2024.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

A copy of the consultation document on publishing statutory litter enforcement guidance will be deposited in the Library.

This consultation was run in March 2024 under the previous Government. This Government has yet to make a decision on whether to publish statutory guidance. Any decision will be announced in the usual way. Following this, we would expect to release a consultation response.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will place in the Library a copy of the consultation document on making the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse statutory guidance.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

A copy of the consultation document on publishing statutory litter enforcement guidance will be deposited in the Library.

This consultation was run in March 2024 under the previous Government. This Government has yet to make a decision on whether to publish statutory guidance. Any decision will be announced in the usual way. Following this, we would expect to release a consultation response.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Written Statement of 3 June 2025, HCWS680, on Consulting on a reformed approach to investing in flood resilience and coastal erosion, how much of the £2.65 million in funding was originally allocated by the previous Government.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change, this Government is investing a record £2.65 billion over 2024/25 and 2025/26 for the construction of new flood schemes, and the maintenance and repair of existing ones. With this funding, 1,000 flood schemes have been or will continue to be supported, better protecting 52,000 properties by March 2026.

This Government has also announced the largest flood programme in history – committing a record £7.9 billion capital investment as part of its landmark 10-year Infrastructure Strategy.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has had recent discussions with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on council tax (a) revaluation and (b) re-banding.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government engages regularly and constructively with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on a range of economic issues. Property tax reform has not been discussed with the OECD since the current Government took office in July 2024, but it was discussed under the previous Government.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question 51391 on Water Charges, whether he plans to provide (a) guidance and (b) directions on innovative tariffs.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As set out in the previous answer, as the water regulator, Ofwat regulates the charging trials by issuing rules that require companies to set fair charges for all customers, and to ensure all trials are consistent with good practice principles.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much was raised in right to buy receipts in each year since 2011-12; and what proportion of those receipts was spent on affordable housing.

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

Receipts from Right to Buy (or equivalent) sales of local authority stock for the financial year 2012-13 onwards are published in the attached Table. There are no published figures for earlier years.

With regard to the proportion of such receipts spent on affordable housing, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 16195 on 5 December 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Planning Inspectorate has made appeal decisions on asylum accommodation in the last 12 months.

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

Planning appeals are not routinely categorised by whether an appeal features a decision on asylum accommodation. As such, it is not possible to confirm whether any appeals relating to this have been considered in the last 12 months in the time given.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support neighbourhood planning; and whether there is a target on neighbourhood plan take-up.

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

The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests. The government has no target for neighbourhood plan take-up.

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 6 June 2025 to Question 53912 on Asylum: Housing, whether the Planning Inspectorate has considered any planning appeals relating to such change of use from hotels to asylum accommodation in the last 24 months.

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

The Planning Inspectorate does not hold the requested information in a readily searchable way, and planning appeals are not routinely categorised by the specific nature of the change of use, such as from hotels to asylum accommodation. As such, it is not possible to confirm whether any appeals relating to this specific change of use have been considered in the last 24 months.

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 her Department's transparency data, MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, if she will publish the specification of the research commissioned from Frontier Economics Ltd.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The research commissioned from Frontier Economics Ltd. referenced in MHCLG’s transparency data published on 28 April 2025 refers to two separate contracts: the Towns Fund Evaluation and the UKSPF Intervention Evaluation. A feasibility study for these evaluations, which set out the requirements for the work commissioned, has been published and can be accessed here:

• Gov.uk Towns Fund: evaluation feasibility report
• UK Shared Prosperity Fund: intervention-level evaluation feasibility report

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 her Department's publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, April 2025, published on 30 May 2025, what the services commissioned from Allied Publicity Services Manchester were.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

These data lines were published in error. The relevant publication has now been updated

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the target number of civil servants in her Department is in each year of the Spending Review 2025.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

We are aiming to reduce the number of Civil Servants working in this department by at least 10% over the course of the Spending Review period. This in line with the government’s wider Civil Service reform plan and commitment to reducing administration costs of the civil service by 15% by 2030.

We are implementing an ambitious efficiency plan to support this objective, focused primarily on reducing back-office costs and building a leaner, more efficient, and highly skilled workforce. This will enable us to deliver the government’s priorities while maintaining the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Civil Servants in frontline roles will continue to be aligned with the funding and priority programmes that underpin these activities.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding her Department has provided for cladding removal and remediation in (a) 2023-24, (b) 2024-25, (c) 2025-26 and (d) each other year of the Spending Review; and how much will be raised in taxes on developers for this purpose.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

MHCLG has provided for cladding removal and remediation:

(a) 2023-24, £647m (Actuals)

(b) 2024-25, £438m (Actuals)

(c) 2025-26 £1003m (Current financial year budget allocation)

Following the Spending Review which agreed the overall funding envelope for MHCLG, the department will undertake a detailed budget allocation process t for 2026-27 onwards. MHCLG funding for 2026-27 onwards is therefore not currently delegated to a programme level.

We estimate that we will need to raise £3.4billion pounds from the Building Safety Levy. The levy is due to come into operation in October 2026 and is likely to be in operation for ten years. The levy will be reviewed every three years.

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 9 June 2025 to Question 55289 on Police: Employment Contributions, whether the methodology used to calculate the National Insurance mitigation for police officers is the same as that used to calculate the funding for firefighters.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) in the form of revenue support grant (RSG) and retained business rates.

In recognition of the decision to increase employer National Insurance Contributions, the Government will provide £515 million to English local councils, including mayoral combined authorities and fire and rescue authorities, allocated based on an assessment of each council’s share of relevant net service expenditure.

The 2025/26 LGFS was published on 3 February and sets out funding allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue. Standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities will see an increase in core spending power of £69.1m in 2025/26. Including the National Insurance Contribution Grant, this is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25.

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 June 2025 to Question 54880 on Council tax: billing, whether local billing authorities are able to require the individual residents of a dwelling to declare whether the property is their (a) primary and (b) secondary residence.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 requires billing authorities to take reasonable steps to determine whether any discounts or premiums are applicable. This includes a power to require information to be provided about the persons liable for the bill on a dwelling. It is for each authority to decide when to use these powers.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question 51391 on Water Charges, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) progressive and (b) rising block metering tariffs on water bills for homes occupied by families with children.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As the water regulator, Ofwat regulates the charging trials by issuing rules that require companies to set fair charges for all customers, and to ensure all trials are consistent with good practice principles. Companies must also consult with the Consumer Council for Water in developing their trials to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. Through these trials the sector will learn how to best support customers, including families, with their water bills.

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 10 June 2025 to Question 53762 on Licensing Laws: Fees and Charges, what her planned timetable is for publishing the response to that consultation.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The response to the consultation Local Authority Principles and Objectives: gov.uk (Local authority funding reform: objectives and principles) was published on Friday 20 June 2025. The link to the response can be found gov.uk here.

In parallel, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation, which sets out further questions on Sales, Fees and Charges reform. The link to that consultation is gov.uk here.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, who will cover the duties of the Minister for Housing and Planning whilst he is on jury service.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Duties will be shared amongst the MHCLG Ministerial team when required. As with all departmental business, the Secretary of State maintains overall responsibility for the work of the department

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for making a decision on local government restructuring in Essex; when she plans to hold a formal consultation process on the number of new unitary councils to be created; when she plans to publish the proposed council (a) wards and (b) divisions for the new unitary councils; and whether the date of election for the new unitary councils will be in the (i) same year or (ii) different year from the election to the combined authority mayor for Greater Essex.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

On 5 February 2025 councils in Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock were invited to submit proposals for unitary local government by 26 September 2025. Once a proposal has been submitted it will be for the government to decide on taking a proposal forward and to consult as required by statute. The exact timings and detail will depend on the proposals received and the decision taken on which proposal, if any, to implement. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance and the available evidence.

The government's consultation on Devolution Priority Programme areas closed on 13 April. We are now carefully considering the evidence collected to decide whether to establish mayoral institutions in each of the areas, including Greater Essex.

It is expected that elections to new unitary authorities in Devolution Priority Programme areas undergoing local government reorganisation will take place in May 2027, with those new unitary authorities going live in April 2028. Legislation implementing a proposal for unitarisation will include provision for warding or divisional arrangements for the inaugural council elections.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 30 May 2025 to Question 530393 on Picketing, whether the 6 person limit on picketing will be (a) retained or (b) removed when the Code of Practice on Picketing is revised.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

There is no statutory limit on the number of people attending a picket. The Code of Practice on Picketing, which is issued by the Secretary of State under section 203 Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, recommends a 6 person limit.

At this time, we do not plan to change the 6 person recommendation in the Code of Practice.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether a dwelling subject to a Class G exemption on a second homes council tax premium can apply for a Class H exemption after 12 months of applying a Class G exemption; and whether the reverse is the case.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Exceptions to council tax premiums may apply in succession where the dwelling meets the necessary criteria as set out in regulations. It is for individual councils to assess whether an exception applies to a dwelling

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the security services have made of the level of economic espionage by the Chinese Government in the UK.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

As a matter of long-standing policy, we do not comment on the detail of security and intelligence matters. However, we continuously assess potential threats to the UK and, where necessary, deploy the full range of tools available to mitigate them.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2025 to Question 53973 on Defending Democracy Taskforce, if she will provide a copy of the Defending Democracy Taskforce's assessment of transnational repression to the Planning Inspector considering the planning application for the proposed site for the new Chinese embassy.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

The planning application has been called in by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and she will make this quasi-judicial decision independent from the rest of Government.

The Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary submitted written representations to the planning inspector on 14 January 2025. That letter is clear that the Home Office has considered the breadth of national security issues and where necessary, relevant agencies and departments have been consulted on the national security implications of the application.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what powers local authorities have to object to the housing of asylum seekers in (a) hostel and hotels and (b) private rented sector accommodation in their locality.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Asylum Accommodation Services Contracts set out a number of principles in relation to working with Local Authorities, and other stakeholders including consultation and liaison regarding the location of accommodation and other issues, ranging from security controls to the impact on local amenities.

It is through this consultation and liaison that local authorities may raise any objection to specific properties being used as asylum accommodation, including on behalf of the local people they represent.

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 document entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, what consultancy services were commissioned from CFE Research and Consulting Ltd.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government appointed a consortium of organisations, led by CFE Research and including Cordis Bright, Revolving Doors, and the Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research (SCHARR) at The University of Sheffield, to undertake an independent evaluation of the Changing Futures programme. The spend in March was for research and evaluation activity for this programme evaluation.

The Changing Futures programme is an initiative between the UK Government and The National Lottery Community Fund, running from 2021 to 2026. All evaluation publications to date are available at: Evaluation of the Changing Futures programme - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the average (a) cash grant and (b) subsidy per unit is for a unit of (i) social rent housing, (ii) affordable rent and (iii) affordable home ownership.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to questions UIN 15764 on 3 December 2024, UIN 23794 on 22 January 2025, UIN 31045 on 25 February 2025 and UIN 31046 on 25 February 2025.

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 6 June 2025 to Question 53925 on Green Belt: Planning, what definition her Department uses for a built-up area; and what level of density or rurality provides that development on residential gardens is considered construction on brownfield land.

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

The definition of Previously Developed Land is set out in Annex 2: Glossary of the National Planning Policy Framework. It excludes land in built-up areas such as residential gardens, parks, and allotments.

The National Planning Policy Framework, and associated Green Belt guidance, do not introduce a definition of a built-up area.

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 3 June 2025 to Question 54410 on Mo Baines, if she will publish that declaration.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 50166 on 14 May 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Cities and Local Growth Unit has been closed.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Cities and Local Growth Unit, a joint Unit with the Department for Business and Trade, ended on 31 March 2025.

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 6 June 2025 to Question 53912 on Asylum: Housing, if she will make it her policy to issue planning practice guidance on changing hotels to asylum hostel accommodation.

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

My Department has no plans to issue such guidance.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Valuation Office Agency is taking to tackle delays in processing council tax valuation challenges.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The VOA is working as quickly as possible to clear cases, and moving staff to where there is the greatest customer demand. The VOA is focusing on the oldest cases first, and where customers are facing financial hardship.

The VOA is replacing IT systems with modern cloud-based platforms that will deliver significant efficiencies. It is also upskilling its workforce to ensure there is flexibility in managing a wide range of cases and improving its digital services to make it easier for customers to self-serve.

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 Answers of (a) 4 June 2025 to Question 54046 on Waste Disposal: Birmingham and (b) 7 May 2025 to Question 48129 on Birmingham City Council, what information (i) her Department and (ii) Best Value Commissioners hold on legal injunctions successfully awarded by Birmingham City Council against Unite the Union on refuse collection industrial action.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

A negotiated outcome is in everyone’s interest and the government remains committed to supporting Birmingham’s long-term transformation, for the benefit of residents.

The details of the civil injunction are a matter for Birmingham City Council.

Following the issuance of the Section 114 notice in 2023, the government appointed commissioners to exercise certain functions of the council, including governance, finance, and recruitment. Commissioners are working to ensure the council is meeting the requirements of the Best Value Duty and operate independently within the framework of their statutory responsibilities.

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 7 May 2025 to Question 48129 on Birmingham City Council, what information her Department holds on which contractors are collecting domestic rubbish from households in Birmingham.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government has been working intensively with Birmingham City Council to tackle the backlog and clean up the streets in the interests of Birmingham residents and public health. Birmingham City Council believe the amount of waste on the streets is broadly back to 'normal' for the city, with households receiving one collection per week per household.

Details about operational arrangements in relation to the waste service are a matter for Birmingham City Council.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding her Department has provided to Greater Manchester Combined Authority's Housing Investment Loans Fund; and whether (a) guidance and (b) conditions were attached to that funding.

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

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) provided Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) with a £300m Housing Investment Loan Fund in 2015, as part of its devolution deal.

The requirements of the fund, including the conditions, are set out in a Facility Agreement – executed as a deed – between MHCLG and GMCA. Summaries of how the fund operates are publicly available at gov.uk https://democracy.manchester.gov.uk/Data/Executive/20150318/Agenda/21_GMHousingInvestmentFund_2.pdf and https://democracy.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=34289

On 17 June 2025 we announced that the fund will be extended to deliver thousands of new homes over the next ten years.

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 her Department's publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, what the goods or services were commissioned from Oxford Economics Ltd entitled Cambridge Economic Forecasting.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The department commissioned Oxford Economics to model economic growth in Greater Cambridge.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) internal and (b) external Prevent guidance her Department has drafted on cultural nationalism; and what her Department’s definition is of cultural nationalism.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

The current Prevent duty guidance, including reference to cultural nationalism, was last revised under the previous Government on 6 March 2024, and is available at: Prevent duty guidance: Guidance for specified authorities in England and Wales

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2025 to Question 53973 on Defending Democracy Taskforce, if she will publish the assessment on Transnational Repression in the UK.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

Owing to the classified nature of the findings, the Transnational Repression Review will not be a publicly available document.

My Written Ministerial Statement on 14 May provides an overview of the Review’s key findings and recommendations.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Cabinet Secretary plans to respond to the correspondence of 15 May 2025 from the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton on the Prime Minister’s and Home Secretary’s visit to Cambridgeshire.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office responded to this letter on 23rd June.

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 press release entitled Rooftop solar for new builds to save people money, published on 6 June 2025, what estimate her Department has made of the capital cost of installing solar panels on a new build family home.

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

As part of the previous government’s consultation on the Future Homes Standard, an impact assessment estimating the costs and wider impacts of the proposals, including solar installations, was published. It can be found on gov.uk here.

This government intend to introduce a Future Homes Standard in autumn this year and will publish an updated impact assessment alongside it.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 52268 on Independent Commission into Adult Social Care, whether the financial expenditure report will include the chair's salary.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As the Commission is independent, it will be responsible for reporting on its financial expenditure and is responsible for what it includes in the report.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance she has issued to local authorities on Anti-Money Laundering checks in relation to (a) working with and (b) loaning funds to developers.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Guidance for local authorities on investments is available here: Guidance_on_local_government_investments.pdf

It is for local authorities to determine their own capital strategies as they are best placed to understand local needs and are accountable to the local electorate. In doing so, local authorities have a duty to comply with the Prudential Framework and must have regard to statutory guidance to ensure plans are prudent, affordable, and sustainable.

Property developers are in scope of the Money Laundering Regulations if they act as estate agents (i.e. they sell their properties through a separate legal entity) or provide relevant financial services and products. Guidance on how such firms should comply with the Regulations is published online by Anti-Money Laundering supervisors, including His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Financial Conduct Authority. The HMRC guidance on estate agents can be found here: Estate and letting agency business guidance for money laundering supervision - GOV.UK

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 her Department's publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, what the goods or services commissioned from 23 Red Limited entitled (a) consultancy and (b) campaign creative production were.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department commissioned 23 Red Limited through approved government procurement frameworks to help deliver two key campaigns addressing housing needs in our communities.

The 'consultancy' expenditure covered essential strategic and creative elements of our Make Things Right campaign. This campaign supports social housing tenants to effectively engage with the complaints process when experiencing issues with their accommodation, helping to drive improvements in housing standards.

The 'campaign creative production' expenditure funded essential strategic and creative elements of our StreetLink campaign. This initiative raises awareness of the StreetLink service and improves public understanding of how to provide effective referrals for people sleeping rough, ultimately helping to connect vulnerable individuals with appropriate support services.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she had discussions with the Chinese Government on the proposed Chinese Embassy at the Royal Mint (a) at the 11th round of China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue and (b) on any other occasion.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Chancellor has engaged with the Chinese Government on a number of occasions, including during her visit to China for the 2025 UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue, and has discussed a range of economic and financial issues. The Chancellor published a written ministerial statement about her visit to China on the morning of Monday 13 January (found here) and delivered an oral statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday 14 January (found here).

On 10 June, the Planning Inspector responsible for the Planning Inquiry into China’s application to build a new embassy at Royal Mint Court submitted her report to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. A target decision date of 9 September has been set. As this case will come before ministers in MHCLG for determination, it would not be appropriate to comment further.

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