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 respond to the letter of 14 July 2025 from the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton on publication of councillors’ home addresses.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

A response was sent to the hon. Member on 27 October 2025.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 54875 on Admiralty House: Council Tax, whether Council Tax (a) discount, exemption, disregard and (b) premium is applied to the Government's bill for each of the unoccupied Admiralty House ministerial residences in 2025-26.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Discount, exemption, disregard and premiums billing for Admiralty House are determined by the Local Authority. In this instance, this would be Westminster City Council.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what guidance her Department has issued on recognising premises as a diplomatic mission of a foreign government.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The process of applying for Diplomatic and Consular Status for Official Mission Premises is set out in Section 1(1) of the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1987/46). Diplomatic missions are required to obtain the consent of the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs for land to be regarded as diplomatic or consular premises.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2025 to Question 70563 on Admiralty House: Valuation, what the valuation was; and whether each residence is valued.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Admiralty House as a whole was valued at £18.2 Million. The residences formed part of the valuation, however, they were not individually valued separately to the rest of the building.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has provided to special advisers on the definition of personal hospitality.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers requires special advisers to declare details of gifts and hospitality received in accordance with the rules set out in their departmental staff handbooks. The Special Advisers’ Transparency Guidance available on GOV.UK provides further details of requirements for reporting of gifts, hospitality and meetings with senior media figures.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered (a) banning vaping in pubs, (b) banning 16 and 17 year olds from buying zero alcohol drinks in pubs and (c) raising the drink drive limit to support the economic viability of pubs.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade is not responsible for bans on vaping in pubs, restrictions on zero-alcohol drinks for 16–17-year-olds, or changes to drink-drive limits. These matters fall under the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department for Transport

DHSC advises that while vapes are less harmful than smoking, they are not risk-free and plans to consult on making most indoor settings vape-free. Many pubs already prohibit vaping voluntarily. In Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, the Government committed to explore prohibiting sales of no- and low-alcohol drinks to under-18s including prohibiting sales to individuals under the age of 18 years old. This policy is being pursued as these alcohol substitute drinks are intended for consumption by adults. DHSC Officials are scoping details and will update stakeholders in due course.

This Government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. In 2023 there were 1,624 people killed on GB roads. There were an estimated 260 people killed in collisions involving drink driving, accounting for 16% of total fatalities in 2023. Given the significant casualties caused by drink driving, we have no plans to increase the drink drive limit.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the hon Member for Hampstead and Highgate received a Ministerial severance payment.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Ministerial severance is payable under the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 when a Minister leaves office and meets the following statutory conditions:

Ministers who have not attained the age of 65 and are not appointed to a relevant ministerial or other paid office within 3 weeks of the last day of service, are eligible for a severance payment of one quarter of the annual ministerial salary being paid.

Details of HM Treasury ministerial severance payments, including recipients and amounts, are published in the annual report and accounts.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce a ban on (a) vaping and (b) smoking outside (i) pubs, (ii) restaurants and (iii) nightclubs.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill allows the Government to expand current indoor smoking restrictions to outdoor public places and workplaces via secondary legislation. The bill also gives the Government powers to make most public places and workplaces that are smoke-free also vape-free. Exactly which settings should become smoke-free and vape-free will be subject to a full consultation. However, we are not considering extending smoke-free or vape-free places to outdoor hospitality settings, such as outside pubs, restaurants, and nightclubs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance (a) her Department and (b) the Financial Conduct Authority has given to financial institutions on the anti-money laundering checks on (i) UK domestic Politically Exposed Persons and (ii) their spouses or partners when purchasing a house to determine the true source of (A) deposits and (B) equity.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Guidance for financial institutions on the treatment of Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) is published by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and can be found here:

FG25/3: Treatment of politically exposed persons | FCA

The guidance was updated in July 2025, including to clarify that unless other enhanced risk factors are present, UK PEPs and their relatives must be subject to a lower level of enhanced due diligence than overseas PEPs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data her Department holds on the revenue from stamp duty land tax on primary homes in the last financial year for which figures are available by (a) local authority and (b) Parliamentary constituency.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not collect data via the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) return on whether a residential property will serve as a primary residence. However, the Higher Rates for Additional Dwellings (HRAD) apply when an individual acquires a residential property while already owning another piece of residential property anywhere in the world.

SDLT paid on homes which did not pay HRAD on a local authority basis can be calculated using Table 7b and on a Parliamentary constituency basis using Table 8b of the UK Stamp Tax statistics publication available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-stamp-tax-statistics

In both cases, SDLT paid on homes which did not pay HRAD is calculated by subtracting HRAD receipts from Residential receipts. Please note that the statistics publication covers the temporary thresholds period ending 1 April 2025 so the HRAD share may be higher than usual.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question HL10734 on USA: Diplomatic Service, whether the ongoing work involved expenditure whilst Lord Mandelson was Ambassador.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Refurbishment work at our Embassy in Washington DC began in June 2019. The majority of work was completed in 2023, with limited aspects ongoing.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had discussions with BT Openreach on the cyber-security of the CL-WAP telephone and internet exchange adjacent to the Royal Mint.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government is committed to ensuring the security and resilience of the UK’s telecommunications infrastructure. The Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 introduced a robust security framework requiring public telecoms providers to identify, reduce and prepare for security and resilience risks.

The Government does not comment on discussions around the security of specific sites.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when her Department will provide a response to the letter from the Hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton dated 18 September 2025.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

A response to the letter from the Hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton was issued on 6 November.

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 has had discussions with (a) Camden Council and (b) Southwark Council on (i) regulation of landlords and (ii) selective licensing since 4 July 2024.

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

My Department engages regularly with a broad range of local authorities on matters including the regulation of landlords and selective licensing.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many applications for a selective licensing designation were approved between 4 July 2024 and 23 December 2024.

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

My Department approved applications for Selective Licensing submitted by Waltham Forest and Blackpool in November 2024.

Between July 2024 and the introduction of the 2024 General Approval on 23 December 2024, Burnley, Barking and Dagenham, and Lambeth submitted applications to introduce or expand large schemes.

These were superseded by the 2024 General Approval which enables local authorities to introduce selective licensing schemes of any size without seeking approval from the Secretary of State. These applications therefore did not require approval from my Department.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the reasons for which some people put flags on lampposts in the summer.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

At this time, no assessment has been made. My department is co-ordinating cross-Government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion - working in partnership with local government, communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address the deep-seated issues.

Where the subject has been raised, we have been clear that everyone can make their own decisions, including local councils, on flying flags and that guidance exists to support them, such as ‘Flying flags: a plain English guide” - as set out in the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007 (as amended in 2012 and 2021) – which outlines the regulations related to the flying of flags in England.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 76822 on Jeffrey Epstein, what records Integrated Corporate Services holds of meetings between Jeffrey Epstein and Ministers in the former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills between 2009 and 2010.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Any such information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 76822 on Jeffrey Epstein, what records Integrated Corporate Services holds of correspondence (a) to and (b) from Lord Mandelson relating to Sempra Commodities between 2009 and 2010.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Any such information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

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 September 2025 to Question 70571 on Elections: Campaigns, whether the new imprint requirements will apply outside candidate-specific regulated election periods.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Imprint requirements play an important role in upholding trust in our democratic process by ensuring voters can see clearly who is behind printed and digital campaigning material.

The period for which the print and digital imprint rules apply will remain the same. As digital campaigning is not confined to election periods, the UK-wide digital imprint regime, for the most part, applies all-year round. Whereas the print regime applies during regulated periods for candidates.

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 held discussions with representatives of political parties prior to the publication of the policy paper entitled Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections, published on 17 July 2025.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government has worked closely with its partners in local and devolved government, with the electoral sector, with education providers and civil society, and with citizens themselves in the development of the strategy for modern and secure elections. We will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders, including with political parties and sector representative organisations such as the Association of Electoral Administrators, to ensure these changes are delivered successfully.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what estimate the Electoral Commission has made of the number of spoilt votes under the supplementary vote electoral system.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The last set of elections held under the supplementary vote electoral system were the local government and PCC elections in May 2021. The percentage of rejected ballot papers at those elections was higher than at elections using first past the post in the same year: 0.8% for the local government elections compared to 2.7% for the PCC and 4.3% for Mayor of London.

The Commission’s report following the elections noted that the number of rejected ballot papers for the Mayor of London election was notably higher than it had been at previous elections. The most significant difference compared to previous elections was the record 20 candidates which had led to a new two-column ballot paper design to accommodate electronic counting requirements. The report emphasised that clear and effective ballot paper design is essential to help voters cast their votes correctly. It recommended that alternative ballot paper designs should be tested in advance of future elections.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what discussions the Electoral Commission has had with the Government on the use of pilot voting schemes in the May 2026 local elections in England.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The Electoral Commission has had discussions with Government on its proposals for pilot voting schemes at the May 2026 local elections in England.

The Commission’s research shows people in the UK are generally happy with the current ways of voting in person at elections. But it is important to look at how to keep improving elections, to meet the changing needs of voters and to make sure voting is as convenient and accessible as possible.

The Commission will support local authorities taking part in the pilots as needed, and work to ensure voters are aware of the voting options available to them. It also has a statutory duty to independently evaluate and report on the May 2026 pilot schemes.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Electoral Commission has issued to local authorities on the provision to political parties of the expiry dates of postal voting mandates for individual electors with postal votes.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are required by law to identify postal voters whose absent voting arrangements will expire on 31 January each year. These voters must be notified directly by the ERO that their current arrangement is ending and that they will need to submit a new postal vote application if they wish to continue voting by post.

While political parties are entitled to receive absent voting lists, the expiry date of a postal vote does not form part of the absent voting record. As such, there is no provision for EROs to share this information.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the security of the ballot for early voting pilot schemes.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The Electoral Commission evaluated a small number of early voting pilots in Wales as part of the local council elections in May 2022. There are several potential integrity challenges presented by managing voting over multiple days. These include, ensuring ballot box security overnight and managing the risk of double voting risk.

During the pilots, the Electoral Commission found that Returning Officers and their teams managed risks well, working alongside the police. No concerns were raised with the Returning Officers in relation to the integrity of the polls in the pilot areas by the police or by political parties and candidates.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Election Commission has issued to Electoral Registration Officers on the declarations that a potential elector must make to enter onto the electoral roll.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The Electoral Commission has issued guidance on the declarations required to Electoral Registration Officers. All electors must make a declaration that the contents of their application to register are true. This can include a declaration of local connection, if a person does not have a fixed or permanent address.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 76017 on Electoral Register, whether the Electoral Commission has issued guidance to Electoral Registration Officers on whether a voter can meet the residency requirements by having a permanent residence in three different dwellings in three different local authority areas.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The Electoral Commission's guidance for Electoral Registration Officer’s (EROs) sets out that someone may be eligible to register and to vote at more than one address if the ERO finds they meet the residency requirements, alongside the other usual registration conditions. When considering an application to register a person at a secondary address the ERO should take into account why the voter is present at that address, to establish if they may be deemed resident there. Each case should be considered on its own merits.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking with the National Fraud Initiative to tackle evasion of the council tax second homes premium.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The National Fraud Initiative (NFI), as part of the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA), works closely with local authorities to help them identify and prevent fraud.

As part of this, the NFI is currently collaborating with local authorities to understand the fraud risks related to council tax second home premiums. The NFI will use that insight to inform options to detect and prevent fraud in this area.

This collaboration is also helping local authorities to address fraud in other areas of council tax, such as fraudulent claims for a ‘single person discount’ (SPD). In its most recent report, the NFI detected £20.4m in fraudulent SPDs in England, with £20.2m, or 99%, in recovery.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 July 2024 on Government of service, HCWS870, whether the breach of the Ministerial Code by the former Deputy Prime Minister was deemed a serious breach.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

I refer you to the advice provided by the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards and the subsequent exchange of letters between the Prime Minister and the former Deputy Prime Minister. These are published on gov.uk at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-the-independent-adviser-on-ministerial-standards-exchange-of-letters-between-the-prime-minister-and-angela-rayner-mp

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many post offices there are in each (a) constituency and (b) local authority area by (i) location, (ii) rurality and (iii) type of post office.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Post Office Limited publishes monthly data on the number of branches trading across the UK, including their locations and rurality. The latest dataset, covering September 2025, is available on the Post Office Limited’s website at: 2025-september-network-numbers-online-list-v2.xlsx

Post Office Limited’s most recent annual Network Report includes data on branch types. You can access it here: network-report-2024-final-5.pdf.

Parliamentarians can find data on branch locations by constituency in the House of Commons Library.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 74189 on Chinese Embassy, if he will publish (a) that reply and (b) any subsequent correspondence.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

It is for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to decide what documentation to publish as part of that process.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2025, to Question 23786, on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, if he will publish the (a) minutes and (b) meeting notes for the meetings attended by FCDO officials 4 July 2024.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

It is for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to decide what documentation to publish as part of that process.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Cabinet Secretary plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton of 10 June 2025 on the proposed Chinese Embassy and pre-determination.

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

I apologise for the delayed response to the Hon. Member’s letter. He will have received a letter of apology for this. He will receive a substantive reply as soon as possible.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Chief Fire Adviser on the potential impact of the (a) ban on controlled heather burning on and (b) definition of deep peat on the risk of wildfires.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

While the regulation of controlled heather burning and the definition of deep peat fall within the responsibility of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which addressed a similar question from the Hon. Member on 11 September 2025 (UIN 76603), the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is the lead government department for wildfire (from 1 April 2025).

The Chief Fire Adviser post ceased with the introduction of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) in 2017. As did my predecessor, I meet regularly with Phil Garrigan, Chair of the NFCC, to discuss a range of issues in fire and resilience, including wildfire. I also understand that NFCC provided input to Defra’s consultation on the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations in 2025.

In December 2021 the Home Office, as the former lead government department for wildfire, published the Wildfire Framework for England.  The framework identifies responsibilities, clarifies relationships, and facilitates coordination at the government level and between key wildfire stakeholders in England. MHCLG continues to work with Defra and other partners to ensure that land management and environmental policies are aligned with effective wildfire resilience.

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 19 September 2025 to Question 76603 on Peatlands: Fires, whether (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have received representations from the National Fire Chiefs Council on that issue.

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

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) responded to Defra’s consultation on heather and grass burning in England earlier this year. Their response is published on their website: 250523-Heather-and-Grass-Burning-in-England-Consultation-Response-FINAL.pdf.

I also met with NFCC to discuss their consultation response, prior to the amendments to the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2021 being finalised. Defra and NFCC, as well as representatives from various Fire and Rescue Services, continue to work together in this 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 29 August 2025 to Question 68415 on Political Parties: Finance, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals relating to donors raising funds from abroad.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

While it is clear that foreign donations to political parties are not permitted, the Government recognises the risk posed by malign actors who seek to interfere with and undermine our democratic processes.

As pledged in our manifesto, we are strengthening the rules around donations to political parties. We have published our ‘Strategy for Modern and Secure Elections’ which sets out a number of reforms we are making to strengthen rules on political donations, responding to the threat of foreign interference. These include “Know Your Donor” requirements for recipients of donations and tighter controls on unincorporated association donations.

We are also tightening the rules to ensure greater scrutiny of the origin and nature of political donations. Donors will be required to declare any benefits or sources of funding associated with their donation. In addition, companies making donations will be required to demonstrate a genuine and substantive connection to the UK or Ireland, preventing the use of shell companies to channel foreign or illicit money into UK politics.

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 potential implications for his policies of the report by the Manifesto Club entitled Gatekeepers: How councils are controlling access to the public square, published in October 2025.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The provision and administration of street trading and highways licences are the responsibility of Local Authorities under either the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 or the London Local Authorities Act 1990, depending on their location.

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 publish the letter sent to the Rule 6 participants on 16 October 2025 announcing the delay in the target date for the Chinese Embassy decision.

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

We do not routinely publish correspondence to parties on live cases.

Letters to the Rule 6 participants will be listed in the final decision letter, and will be available on request when the decision is published.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the causes of the decline in the number of houses delivered in London this year.

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

When it comes to development, London faces challenges that are common to all parts of England over recent years. These include a significant increase in building material prices; a rise in financing costs; and planning capacity and capability pressures.

In addition, the capital faces a number of challenges unique to its housing market which differs in important ways from the rest of the country. These include the fact that London is overwhelmingly reliant on flatted developments; has depended over recent decades on demand from international buyers and investors; and has a higher proportion of landowners (and traders acting on their behalf) who are global investors allocating development funding based on competing returns globally and across asset classes.

The government is acutely aware of the housing delivery challenge in London. We are committed to working in partnership with the Mayor of London, London Boroughs, and other partners to significantly increase rates of housebuilding in the capital as part of our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament.

On 23 October 2025, the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London announced a new package of support for housebuilding in London. Details of that package can be found on gov.uk here.

This package sits alongside reforms to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) announced on 30 June 2025, including operational and policy changes to speed up decision making, particularly on building control approval and the introduction of an Innovation Unit and batching process. Early signs are positive with all applications in the Innovation Unit so far on track to exceed or meet the 12-week SLA target.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which Levelling Up culture projects that were announced under the previous Government have since been (a) cancelled and (b) amended.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 78670 on 21 October 2025.

Worcester received £2.3 million funding for only some of the activity within its original programme. This amendment was determined on the basis of representations received to the consultation. Prioritisation of funding considered a series of factors including: significant progress of work to date, imminent delivery, and/or the wider strategic impact of withdrawing funding on local regeneration efforts, as well as potential to boost economic growth.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has issued guidance to charities on the (a) participation of and (b) provision of parallel provision for (i) older girls and (ii) women in sporting events.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Charity Commission for England and Wales provides guidance for charities on compliance with the Equality Act 2010.

The Government is committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, are able to participate in sport and physical activity.

The This Girl Can campaign, run by our Arm’s Length Body Sport England, has inspired millions of women and girls to get active. 1.6 million more women are expected to be active as a result of the campaign by 2028.

We’ve also launched the Women’s Sport Taskforce to tackle challenges and barriers facing women and girls in sport, from grassroots to elite.

More widely, the Government is also harnessing the power of hosting major sporting events, such as investing £6.7 million into the Impact 25’ programme for the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which has been used to make facilities more accessible for women, train new female coaches and match officials and provide sanitary packages to clubs nationwide. To honour the Lionesses recent European Championship triumph, the Government has announced new plans that are expected to more than double the share of slots dedicated to women’s and girls’ teams at Government-funded facilities across England over the next five years.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the ongoing Natural Environment Research Council study on the role of prescribed burns in reducing wildfires.

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

Defra will consider the outcomes of this study when published, as with all new evidence in this area.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 76281 on Ministers: Redundancy Pay, when Ministers were asked to sign the waiver.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The reforms took effect from 13 October 2025 with waivers issued accordingly.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much and what proportion of the average energy bill for households not in receipt of the Warm Homes Discount was allocated to support the Warm Homes Discount in the latest period for which data is available.

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

The UK Government has statutory duties to address and reduce fuel poverty and is committed to helping the poorest in our society. The expanded Warm Home Discount will support around 6m households this winter, offering essential support through the winter for those in or at risk of fuel poverty.

The scheme’s expansion to 2.7 million additional households will be cost neutral, with costs offset through Ofgem’s work to reduce energy debt.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Certification Officer has received (a) representations and (b) complaints on the elections of the Unite trade union.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Certification Officer does not comment on whether any complaints are under consideration.

The Certification Officer lists all forthcoming hearings and publishes all decisions on their website.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local billing authorities on (a) the length of time that council taxpayers should be given to pay and (b) when council tax bills are considered to be in arrears.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This government has recently consulted on modernising and improving the administration of council tax. This included seeking views on the current processes in place to recover council tax. We are currently reviewing all responses to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

A person is considered to be in arrears from the day they have missed a payment. Councils cannot carry out formal enforcement action until after they have issued a reminder and then acquired a liability order confirming the amount owed.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) members of the Royal Family and (b) parliamentarians will be required to have digital ID cards.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There will be no requirement to enrol in Digital ID. Employers will be required to conduct digital right to work checks by the end of this Parliament.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 26 September 2025 to Question HL9585 on Deputy Prime Minister: Admiralty House, when it was registered as a second home.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

As the property was a second residence, the Government was responsible for paying the Council Tax on Admiralty House, not the former Deputy Prime Minister - in line with long-standing precedent under successive governments.

As has been the case under successive administrations, the Government Property Agency is responsible for liaising with Westminster City Council for matters concerning residency at Admiralty House.

Following the introduction of the second homes premium, this has been paid in full in a one-off full payment in July 2025. This payment was made on the date the invoice was received from Westminster City Council.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 74185 on Deputy Prime Minister: Admiralty House, for what reason the second homes council tax premium was paid in August 2025.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Honorable Member to 74185 which has since been corrected.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 22 September 2025, to Question 76278, Lord Mandelson, what (a) vetting and (b) due diligence was carried out prior to the public announcement of the appointment of Lord Mandelson, and by whom.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 October to to Question 76245.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much has the Cabinet Office spent in John Lewis since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office procures furniture, furnishings, and work-related items from a range of suppliers. It is sometimes the case that required items can be procured cheaper at great British brands such as John Lewis. This has been the practice under previous administrations. Value for money is always central to purchase decisions.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what information the Speaker's Committee holds on whether the Electoral Commission has held discussions with the Government on the length of time councillors will have remained in post during the process of unitary local government restructuring.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The Electoral Commission has had discussions with MHCLG officials about the proposals for local government reorganisation and the implications for elections.

The Commission has said that delaying elections for more than one year can affect the legitimacy of local decision making and risks damaging public confidence. Scheduled polls should only be postponed in exceptional circumstances when no alternative options are available.

The Commission understands the Government is working with councils on their reorganisation plans, and in the meantime, continues to support the electoral community as it prepares for the scheduled polls next May.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many hereditaments claimed Retail, Hospitality and Leisure rate relief in each local authority in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Data on the number of hereditaments that claimed Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief are collected annually as part of National Non-Domestic Rates collected by councils in England. The latest data available is for 31 December 2024 collected via the 2025-26 data collection. They are published as supplementary tables.

Data as at 31 December 2023 can be found here

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/663b98e474933dccbbb6c431/NNDR1_2024-25_Supplementary_table.xlsx

Data as at 31 December 2024 can be found here

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d2c9c4814acba3755e97c1/NNDR1_2025-26_Supplementary_table__ecomms_.xlsx.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether any local government boundary restructuring exercises have been (a) cancelled and (b) paused by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England as a result of potential unitary local government restructuring; and whether the Commission has had discussions with the Government on the potential (a) cancellation and (b) postponement of scheduled local elections in May 2026.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

In February 2025, following the issuing of a statutory invitation to submit unitary proposals to all two-tier authorities, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England took the decision to pause all live reviews in those areas.

In total, 40 reviews have been paused as a result. No reviews have been cancelled as a result of local government reorganisation.

The Commission has had no discussions with the Government on the potential for cancellation or postponement of the local elections scheduled for May 2026.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance HMRC has issued on the residual tax liability of dissolved unincorporated associations.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC has not issued specific guidance on the residual tax liability of unincorporated associations that have been dissolved.

The treatment will depend on the types of tax involved, the structure of the unincorporated association and how it was dissolved. It is a complicated legal area that will depend heavily on the facts and we would suggest that any persons affected engage with HMRC directly or seek specialist advice if appropriate.