Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Autumn Budget 2025 on licensed betting offices; and whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the classification of betting shops for business rates purposes, including their eligibility for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
In October 2024, the Government laid a statutory instrument defining the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that will be eligible for new, lower business rates multipliers from April 2026.
Since they were announced at Budget 2024, the Government has been clear that scope of the RHL multipliers would broadly reflect the scope of the current RHL relief. The previous Government made the decision to exclude betting shops from the relief. This Government considered the issue in the round, and decided to continue the treatment the previous Government chose to ensure the tax cut is appropriately targeted.
The classification of betting shops as financial and professional services is a planning use class and is not assigned by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for business rates purposes. The VOA values land and buildings based on physical features and how the property is occupied. Planning use classes do not affect how the VOA value betting shops.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Autumn Budget 2025 on licensed betting offices; and whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the classification of betting shops for business rates purposes, including their eligibility for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
In October 2024, the Government laid a statutory instrument defining the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that will be eligible for new, lower business rates multipliers from April 2026.
Since they were announced at Budget 2024, the Government has been clear that scope of the RHL multipliers would broadly reflect the scope of the current RHL relief. The previous Government made the decision to exclude betting shops from the relief. This Government considered the issue in the round, and decided to continue the treatment the previous Government chose to ensure the tax cut is appropriately targeted.
The classification of betting shops as financial and professional services is a planning use class and is not assigned by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for business rates purposes. The VOA values land and buildings based on physical features and how the property is occupied. Planning use classes do not affect how the VOA value betting shops.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the exclusion of licensed betting offices from Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief, including the consistency with other gambling leisure premises.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
In October 2024, the Government laid a statutory instrument defining the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties that will be eligible for new, lower business rates multipliers from April 2026.
Since they were announced at Budget 2024, the Government has been clear that scope of the RHL multipliers would broadly reflect the scope of the current RHL relief. The previous Government made the decision to exclude betting shops from the relief. This Government considered the issue in the round, and decided to continue the treatment the previous Government chose to ensure the tax cut is appropriately targeted.
The classification of betting shops as financial and professional services is a planning use class and is not assigned by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for business rates purposes. The VOA values land and buildings based on physical features and how the property is occupied. Planning use classes do not affect how the VOA value betting shops.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
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 MHCLG's Annual Report 2024/5, if he will publish a breakdown of the Gross Outturn and Income of CDEL in the Housing and Planning Estimate Line in FY 2024/5.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Please see table below for a breakdown of income and expenditure on the requested estimate rows and DEL control totals.
Estimate Row | Main Expenditure Streams | Gross | Income | Net |
Communities DEL Estimate Rows | 24/25 | £k | £k | £k |
B: Housing and Planning CDEL |
| 642,249 | - | 642,249 |
| 278,770 | - | 278,770 | |
| 199,897 | - | 199,897 | |
| 102,517 | - | 102,517 | |
| 63,781 | - | 63,781 | |
| 59,728 | - | 59,728 | |
| 711,000 | -711,000 | 0 | |
| 131,732 | -25,408 | 106,324 | |
Total | 2,189,675 | -736,408 | 1,453,267 | |
I: Housing and Planning (ALB)(Net) CDEL |
|
| 2,398,482 | |
|
| 847,683 | ||
|
| 298,720 | ||
|
| 150,599 | ||
|
| 18,197 | ||
Total |
| 3,713,681 | ||
C: Local Growth and Devolution RDEL Programme |
| 1,012,406 | - | 1,012,406 |
| 167,774 | - | 167,774 | |
| 101,533 | -101,755 | -222 | |
| 69,233 | - | 69,233 | |
| 36,891 | - | 36,891 | |
| 19,540 | - | 19,540 | |
| 59,509 | -387 | 59,122 | |
Total | 1,466,886 | -102,142 | 1,364,744 |
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for a breakdown of the programme spend and income of RDEL in the Local Growth and Devolution Estimate Line in FY 2024/5, with reference to MHCLG's Annual Report 2024/5, SoPS 1.1.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Please see table below for a breakdown of income and expenditure on the requested estimate rows and DEL control totals.
Estimate Row | Main Expenditure Streams | Gross | Income | Net |
Communities DEL Estimate Rows | 24/25 | £k | £k | £k |
B: Housing and Planning CDEL |
| 642,249 | - | 642,249 |
| 278,770 | - | 278,770 | |
| 199,897 | - | 199,897 | |
| 102,517 | - | 102,517 | |
| 63,781 | - | 63,781 | |
| 59,728 | - | 59,728 | |
| 711,000 | -711,000 | 0 | |
| 131,732 | -25,408 | 106,324 | |
Total | 2,189,675 | -736,408 | 1,453,267 | |
I: Housing and Planning (ALB)(Net) CDEL |
|
| 2,398,482 | |
|
| 847,683 | ||
|
| 298,720 | ||
|
| 150,599 | ||
|
| 18,197 | ||
Total |
| 3,713,681 | ||
C: Local Growth and Devolution RDEL Programme |
| 1,012,406 | - | 1,012,406 |
| 167,774 | - | 167,774 | |
| 101,533 | -101,755 | -222 | |
| 69,233 | - | 69,233 | |
| 36,891 | - | 36,891 | |
| 19,540 | - | 19,540 | |
| 59,509 | -387 | 59,122 | |
Total | 1,466,886 | -102,142 | 1,364,744 |
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the letter of 14 January 2025 from the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the Planning Inspectorate on the Chinese Embassy planning application, whether she had seen plans for the basement before sending that letter.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
An independent planning decision has been made by the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government. I can assure the Rt Hon Member that both the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have considered the full breadth of national security issues in relation to the proposed new Embassy.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that planning exemptions for campsites in national landscapes maintain protections for the environment.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to working with local partners and Protected Landscapes organisations to understand how planning measures can protect the unique landscape and natural assets of these areas, while supporting sustainable tourism and rural economic growth.
Exempted organisations are encouraged to consult with the relevant National Landscape teams about what might be done to minimise environmental impacts of a site.
Permission must still be sought from Natural England by exempted organisations to use land within protected sites.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
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 given on whether local planning authorities may waive retrospective Community Infrastructure Levy charges on self-build and extensions where administrative errors were made by applicants in good faith; and whether he plans to provide new or updated guidance following the ruling of R (Luck) v Bracknell Forest BC [2025] EWHC 2984 (Admin).
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has not issued official guidance to local planning authorities on matters relating to enforcement decisions on Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charges previously levied on householder developers.
CIL charging authorities are ultimately responsible and accountable for their own decisions on charging and enforcement of CIL.
That said, the government expects charging authorities to consider each case very carefully and in accordance with their legal obligations.
The government recognise that procedural requirements relating to exemptions for housebuilder applications under the 2010 CIL regulations have had financial consequences for some homeowners and we remain committed to finding an urgent solution to this issue.
We are also aware of the High Court decision in R (Luck) v Bracknell Forest BC [2025] EWHC 2984 (admin). As with any such ruling, its implications on the policy area will be carefully considered.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of removing Sport England as a statutory consultee in planning decisions involving playing fields on youth participation in sport.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 103087 on 13 January 2026.
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, if he will list each planning application that has been called in since 4 July 2024, including (a) planning reference number, (b) local authority, (c) the proposed development, and the result of each decision to date.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Since 4 July 2024, the Secretary of State has called in the following planning applications:
Cases called in 04/07/24 to 14/01/26
Location | LPA | LPA Ref | Call in Date | Development Description | Outcome |
Northfleet Harbourside, land surrounding Ebbsfleet Football Club, Northfleet, Kent | Gravesham Borough Council | 20221064 | 07/02/25 | Mixed-use redevelopment including new homes, commercial space and supporting infrastructure. | Inquiry closed Nov 25 – Inspector’s Report awaited |
Heath Business & Technical Park & land north of Heath Rd, Runcorn, Cheshire | Halton Borough Council | 22/00569/OUT | 19/09/25 | Mixed-use scheme including up to 545 homes and supporting community and employment facilities. | With MHCLG – target date for decision 13 Mar 2026 |
Land south of Frome Somerset | Somerset Council | 2021/1675/EOUT | 03/02/25 | Up to 1,700 homes with a local centre, employment land, greenspace and associated infrastructure. | Inquiry closed Sept 25 – Inspector's report awaited |
Land south of Sittingbourne, Kent | Swale Borough Council | 21/503914/EIOUT | 07/11/24 | Major mixed‑use development including up to 7,150 homes, employment space, schools, community facilities and major highways works. | Inquiry closed Oct 25 – Inspector's report awaited |
Beehive Centre, Coldhams Lane, Cambridge | Cambridge City Council | 23/03204/OUT | 11/02/25 | Redevelopment of the site to provide a new local centre, employment floorspace, open space and associated infrastructure | Planning permission Granted 9 Dec 25 |
Royal Mint Court, London | London Borough Tower Hamlets | PA/24/01229/A1 | 14/10/24 | Redevelopment of the site to provide a new embassy, including works to listed buildings, public realm improvements and associated infrastructure. . | Decision issued on 20 Jan 26 |