Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) businesses and (b) hereditaments eligible for Retail Hospitality and Leisure business rate relief which are subject to the £110,000 cap.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government does not collect business-level data regarding recipients of business rate reliefs. All available hereditament-level data is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-non-domestic-rates-collected-by-councils. This data does not contain specific estimates concerning hereditaments which are subject to the £110,000 cap on retail, hospitality and leisure business rate relief.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 letter of 16 December 2024 to council leaders from the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, whether her Department has undertaken an equality impact assessment in relation to its decision to postpone local elections in certain areas undergoing local government reorganisation.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I can confirm that my Department has undertaken analysis fulfilling the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty as set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, in relation to the postponement for one year of the May 2025 elections to the councils specified in the Local Authorities (Changes of Years of Ordinary Elections) (England) Order 2025.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to her oral statement of 5 February 2025 on English Devolution and Local Government, Official Report, Column 766, whether she plans to follow article six of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in the context of her proposals to change two-tier councils to unitary structures.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, sets out the process we will follow in undertaking local government reorganisation. The undertakings in the Act are consistent with the UK’s commitments under the European Charter of Local Self Government and we will continue to fully comply with all our obligations under the Charter.
In formulating proposals for local government reorganisation we expect local leaders to ensure there is wide engagement with their Members of Parliament, local partners and stakeholders, residents, workforce and their representatives, and businesses in working up their proposals.
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.
Once established, the new unitarities will determine the structure of their own administrative services and terms of employment.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to her oral statement of 5 February 2025 on English Devolution and Local Government, Official Report, Column 766, whether she plans to follow article five of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in the context of her consultation on local government restructuring.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, sets out the process we will follow in undertaking local government reorganisation. The undertakings in the Act are consistent with the UK’s commitments under the European Charter of Local Self Government and we will continue to fully comply with all our obligations under the Charter.
In formulating proposals for local government reorganisation we expect local leaders to ensure there is wide engagement with their Members of Parliament, local partners and stakeholders, residents, workforce and their representatives, and businesses in working up their proposals.
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.
Once established, the new unitarities will determine the structure of their own administrative services and terms of employment.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether Surrey will have (a) mayoral combined authority and (b) unitary council elections in (i) 2026 and (ii) 2027.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Surrey will not have a mayoral election in 2026 as it has not been included in the Devolution Priority Programme; decisions on subsequent devolution have not yet been taken. The date of any unitary council elections will depend on the nature of proposals for local government reorganisation and progress on development of those proposals.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to provide interim guidance on the tax treatment of payments received under the Biodiversity Net Gain scheme.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has established the joint HMT/HMRC working group with industry representatives to identify solutions that provide clarity on the tax treatment of ecosystem service markets, including the Biodiversity Net Gain scheme. The work of the group is currently ongoing.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has plans to issue guidance on the tax treatment of payments received under the Biodiversity Net Gain scheme.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has established the joint HMT/HMRC working group with industry representatives to identify solutions that provide clarity on the tax treatment of ecosystem service markets, including the Biodiversity Net Gain scheme. The work of the group is currently ongoing.
Asked by: Jas Athwal (Labour - Ilford South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to provide support to victims of sexual and domestic violence.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This Government has set out an ambition to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) within a decade and will treat it as the national emergency that it is. We will deliver a cross-government, transformative approach, underpinned by a new VAWG Strategy published later this year.
The Government has made several commitments to transform the criminal justice response to sexual offences. This includes embedding domestic abuse specialists into 999 control rooms as part of Raneem’s Law, rolling out Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, introducing free, independent legal advice for victims of adult rape and fast-tracking rape cases. The Ministry of Justice funds the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, providing free, confidential emotional support for all victims of rape and sexual abuse aged 16 and over in England and Wales.
We also understand the importance of specialist and ‘by and for’ services in providing support to victims of VAWG, including domestic abuse. The Home Office have already confirmed a number of grants for organisations delivering vital frontline support to victims.
On 28th November 2024, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced a funding increase of £30 million, meaning a total investment of £160 million in the Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Grant in 2025/26. This will enable local authorities to invest in essential support for victims in safe accommodation.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 5.15 of the Explanatory Memorandum to the Local Authorities (Changes of Years of Ordinary Elections) (England) Order 2025, published on 10 February 2025, how long will new unitary councils exist in shadow form before they are established as full councils.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has no plans to publish the correspondence or substantive text of the petitions mentioned in paragraph 7.4 of the Explanatory Memorandum to the Local Authorities (Changes of Years of Ordinary Elections) (England) Order 2025, or to publish the Government’s responses.
The period a new unitary council exists in shadow form before assuming all council functions will depend on the nature of proposals for local government reorganisation and progress on development of those proposals. The typical period for the recent local government reorganisations has been around one year.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the (a) substantive petition text and (b) Government response to each campaign referred to in paragraph 7.4 of the Explanatory Memorandum to the Local Authorities (Changes of Years of Ordinary Elections) (England) Order 2025.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has no plans to publish the correspondence or substantive text of the petitions mentioned in paragraph 7.4 of the Explanatory Memorandum to the Local Authorities (Changes of Years of Ordinary Elections) (England) Order 2025, or to publish the Government’s responses.
The period a new unitary council exists in shadow form before assuming all council functions will depend on the nature of proposals for local government reorganisation and progress on development of those proposals. The typical period for the recent local government reorganisations has been around one year.