Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of issuing guidance for local authorities on the use of Empty Property Premiums during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government has no plans to issue guidance to local authorities on the use of council tax Empty Property Premiums in the circumstances of the Covid-19 outbreak. Local authorities who have chosen to charge a premium on long term empty properties in their area will want to take account of all relevant circumstances in its administration.