Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reasons her Department plans to close its offices in (a) Birmingham, (b) Exeter, (c) Truro, (d) Sheffield, (e) Warrington and (f) Newcastle; what estimate her Department has made of the cost of closing each office; and what plans her Department has for the existing staff in each location.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The department has made the decision to close these six offices over the next two years, as existing leases end, in order to create a more coherent estate across the UK with strong office communities. The department will continue to have an office in every English region, and in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We will also continue to have a wider office footprint than similarly staffed departments.
The department plans to invest more in some locations and that work is ongoing, we expect to provide net benefits in the long term as a result of these changes. All staff in the six offices which will close will be able to continue in their roles and there will be no compulsory redundancies.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
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 27 November 2024 to Question 14996 on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, if she will publish the planning representations made by the (a) Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and (b) Head of Cyber-Physical and Digital Twins, Innovate UK.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We do not routinely publish planning representations seeking call in of applications.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on what criteria she called in the planning application for the Chinese Embassy in London.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The decision to call in these applications was made on the basis of the policy set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 26 October 2012. In line with the Written Ministerial Statement of 26 March 2019, we do not give specific reasons for calling in planning applications.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
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 paragraph 4.63 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, what methodology her Department plans to use to allocate the £1.3 billion of grant funding for local government; and what steps her Department plans to take to assess the needs of rural areas.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We will be publishing a policy statement in late November, where we will set out our intentions for the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2025-26, including the £1.3 billion of grant funding for local government announced at the Budget, in addition to future reform of the local government finance system.
In 2025-26 we will take a deprivation-based approach with additional funding targeted to the places that need it most. Broader redistribution of funding will follow through a multi-year settlement from 2026-27.
After years of delaying much needed fair funding reform, we will update and improve the approach to funding allocations within the Local Government Finance Settlement to ensure that it reflects an up-to-date assessment of need and local resources. We want to hear from a range of voices to ensure any conclusions the review reaches are both fair and justified.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
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 8 November 2024 to Question 11925 on Council tax: Greater London, what estimate her Department has made of the (a) value and (b) proportionate increase of the (i) Transport for London and (ii) Greater London Authority precept in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Decisions on council tax levels and additional precepts are for relevant individual local authorities, including the Greater London Authority. There is no separate council tax precept charged by Transport for London.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she next plans to reset business rate retention system.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to pursuing a comprehensive set of reforms to public services and the local government funding system while providing as much certainty as possible.
The budget confirmed that we will update and improve the approach to funding allocations within the Local Government Finance Settlement, with further detail set out in a policy statement in November.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to set a council tax referendum threshold for combined authority mayoral precepts in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Details of the proposed council tax referendum principles for 2025-26 will be set out in the local government finance policy statement in late November.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department made of the revenue that would be raised by the (a) small business multiplier and (b) standard multiplier in the 2024-25 financial year; and how much was raised from hereditaments with a rateable value over £500,000.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authority estimates on the revenue collected on each business rates multiplier in 2024-25 are published here: National non-domestic rates collected by councils in England: forecast 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK. Part 2 of the local authority data tables contains the relevant breakdown.
Local authorities do not publish estimates on the revenue collected on hereditaments with a rateable value of over £500,000. The Valuation Office Agency publish data on the breakdown of rateable values here: Non-domestic rating: stock of properties, 2024 - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
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 8 November 2024 to Question 11925 on Council tax: Greater London, if she will publish a breakdown of the core spending power for 2024-25.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
A breakdown of Core Spending Power of local authorities in England for the 2024-25 financial year, including for the Greater London Authority, can be found at the following link.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much and proportion of local government core spending power was compromised of locally-retained business rate receipts in the 2024-25 financial year; and what estimate her Department has made of the revenue from locally-retained business rate receipts in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Locally retained business rates are £13.5 billion or 21% of LGFS CSP in 24/25.
Information for 2025-26 will be included in the forthcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.