Written questions by Simmonds.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has published any guidance on the operation of Section 9I of the Localism Act 2011.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Ministerial Envoys to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets have reviewed the council's 2025-26 expenditure and procurement of the Mosque Engagement Programme.

Ministerial Envoys do not take, or assess the impact of, individual funding and regulatory decisions by the authority; the responsibility for which remains with the Council. As part of the statutory intervention in Tower Hamlets, the Envoys are supporting the Council on their improvement journey which includes political culture. In addition to this, as set out in the Ministerial Directions of 17 March 2026, the Envoys are conducting a ‘deep dive’ into allegations of misconduct in identified council functions, which include the allocation of resources, such as community assets and community grants, and licensing decisions. The Envoys will report their findings to the Secretary of State in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether guidance has been given to the London Assembly on whether Assembly Members in council tax arrears may vote on the setting of the Greater London Authority’s council tax precept.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's Council tax information letter 3/2026 published on 15 April 2026, whether a new burdens payment will be made to local authorities further to the changes outlined in the letter.

The government, in its response to the council tax administration consultation, committed to conduct a New Burdens assessment to ensure changes are appropriately funded. The published response can be found here.

Communities and Local Government, whether the new unitary councils will be required to give 12 months notice to apply the second homes or empty homes council tax premium in their unitary council area, if (a) some and (b) all of their predecessor councils did not levy such premiums.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to the publication MHCLG: spending over £25,000, January 2026, published on 25 February 2026, what the spending on transaction CFO & Corporate Coram (Thomas Coram Foundation), Ref: 5105609031, for £37,075 was for.

The Thomas Coram Foundation research contract was commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of the Supporting Families programme in 2023. When the programme moved to the Department for Education (DfE) as part of a machinery of government change in 2024, the management of, and funding for, the research contract moved to DfE. The contract continues to be held in MHCLG for commercial reasons.The research contract aims to test whether systemic practice is an effective way to work with families to achieve positive outcomes. It is a randomised control trial working with 12 local authorities. We expect to receive the findings later in the year.Further information is available in the Supporting Families annual report which was published on 9 June 2025 and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-families-programme-annual-report-2024-to-2025.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the statutory guidance entitled Appointing mayoral commissioners and setting/reporting allowances, 16 April 2026, paragraph 75, who determines whether a Commissioner has mislead a Local Scrutiny Committee; and to what standard of proof.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act provides Overview and Scrutiny Committees in Mayoral Combined Authorities and Mayoral Combined County Authorities (known as Local Scrutiny Committees) with the power to impose a civil penalty on a person that misleads the Committee. A person is deemed to mislead a committee if they intentionally alter, suppress, conceal, or destroy information or documentation that has been requested by the Committee.Regulations made under the Act will set out the detailed arrangements governing the award of such a civil penalty, including their application to Mayors and Commissioners, together with the appeal mechanism available to those subject to a determination of this kind. The relevant regulations will be laid in due course.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Surrey County Council paper, "Implementation Programme Update Report, Annex 3 – Draft Illustrative Financial Baseline", of April 2026, what assessment has his department made of whether the estimated West Surrey Council (a) net borrowing of £3.841 billion and (b) gross financing cost of £319.5 million a year, and (c) a gross financing cost as percentage of net revenue budget of 39.9%, is financially sustainable for the new unitary council.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, how the proposed ban on crypto-donations and overseas donations over £100,000 will apply to hon. Members.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 124668 on 20 April 2026.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 7 January 2026 to Question 97134 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Departmental Responsibilities, for what reason the Secretary of State's attendance at the Labour YIMBY event on 28 October 2025 was not listed in (a) Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Ministers' Hospitality - October 2025 and (b) MHCLG: ministerial meetings, October to December 2025.

At the events on 28 October and 24 November the Secretary of State spoke about the overall government approach to housing. No other departmental business was discussed. As these were party political events, it would not be appropriate for the Department to publish the Secretary of State’s remarks or include in transparency returns, as has been the case with previous administrations. The Secretary of State was not accompanied by a private secretary.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the speech of Baroness Taylor of Stevenage of 13 April 2026, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 121, for what reason the review is now an internal review; and whether there will be a public consultation on the legislation on open spaces.

The Government’s commitment has consistently been to review existing statutory protections rather than to conduct a consultation. The review will involve gathering evidence from a wide range of sources and stakeholders in a targeted and proportionate way.

Communities and Local Government, whether (a) planning applications for traveller sites and (b) retrospective planning permission for unauthorised sites will be a matter for a Planning Committee.

Between 26 March and 23 April 2026, the government consulted on the draft Regulations and guidance underpinning the government’s planning committee reforms from the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here.We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Communities and Local Government, further to the High Court Consent Order in relation to Nair v London Borough of Tower Hamlets of March 2024, whether Ministerial Envoys in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets have assessed the conduct of licensing councillors on that council.

Ministerial Envoys do not take, or assess the impact of, individual funding and regulatory decisions by the authority; the responsibility for which remains with the Council. As part of the statutory intervention in Tower Hamlets, the Envoys are supporting the Council on their improvement journey which includes political culture. In addition to this, as set out in the Ministerial Directions of 17 March 2026, the Envoys are conducting a ‘deep dive’ into allegations of misconduct in identified council functions, which include the allocation of resources, such as community assets and community grants, and licensing decisions. The Envoys will report their findings to the Secretary of State in due course.

Communities and Local Government, further to the press release, Red tape slashed to revamp high streets with new cafes and bars, of 26 July 2025, whether (a) combined authority mayors and (b) the Greater London Authority mayor will be given powers over Licensing Act 2003 licensing decisions and policy.

Through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, the Government has conferred new licensing functions on the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority. This is to enable a more coherent, city-wide approach to licensing decisions across the capital to support the hospitality industry and nighttime economyThe Government has also published a first iteration of a National Licensing Policy Framework setting out a strategic vision for a modern licensing system across England and Wales. This will support a more strategic approach to licensing in other Mayoralties while the new measures are piloted in Greater London.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued governance guidance to local authorities on whether a sitting Chairman or civic Mayor can preside over, and participate in, a Full Council debate and vote, where there is a motion for the annual Full Council to re-appoint that Chairman or civic Mayor for another year, including any guidance on the application of the case law of R v Owens (1858) to modern day Annual Council selection meetings.

Local authority governance arrangements are a matter for councils themselves, operating within the statutory framework set by the Local Government Act 1972.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of Commonwealth citizens resident in the United Kingdom with an immigration status allowing them to be a qualifying Commonwealth elector.

There are no official statistics on the number of qualifying Commonwealth citizens living in the UK who are eligible to register to vote, either in England or across the United Kingdom. The Office for National Statistics publishes population estimates by nationality. These statistics suggest there are over one million Commonwealth nationals living in the UK. However, these figures cannot be used as an estimate to those eligible to register to vote, as it does not account for individuals’ immigration status or other eligibility criteria. As set out in the answer to Question UIN 120063 of 18 March 2026, the Electoral Commission has previously estimated that around 66% of qualifying Commonwealth citizens may be registered to vote (as at 2023). The Commission’s estimate is based on their survey data and provides an indication of the proportion registered; however no corresponding estimate exists for the total number eligible to register.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the change to the Housing Ombudsman Service's level of fees on the financial burden on local authorities; and what steps he will take to encourage the Housing Ombudsman Service to consult in a more timely fashion with local authorities on potential changes to annual fees in the next financial year.

Following consultation, the Housing Ombudsman published its 2026-27 Business Plan on 15 April. Both the final Business Plan and a consultation response summary can be found on the Housing Ombudsman’s website here.Fees will be increased to £9.64 per home in 2026-27 to deal with ongoing increases in demand.The Business Plan also makes clear that in 2026-27 the Housing Ombudsman will undertake a discovery exercise on alternative fee models that recognise positive complaint handling to potentially replace the per home charge and will work with my Department to support an earlier consultation.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to reverse the interpretation of Environmental Impact Assessment law on carbon emissions created by the Supreme Court ruling of R (on the application of Finch on behalf of the Weald Action Group) (Appellant) v Surrey County Council and others (Respondents) UKSC/2022/0064.

The government will continue to support the appropriate application of the judgment in the case of R (on the application of Finch on behalf of the Weald Action Group) (Appellant) v Surrey County Council and others (Respondents). Consideration of the judgment and wider case law will form part of the development of Environmental Outcomes Reports to provide clarity as to the nature of assessment required for different types of development.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter from the Secretary of State to the Leader of HM Opposition, dated 21 March 2026, how much and what proportion of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme is currently funded in the Spending Review.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 60128 on 4 July 2025.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2026 to Question 97134 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Departmental Responsibilities, for what reason the Secretary of State's attendance at the Labour YIMBY event on 28 October 2025 was not listed in (a) Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Ministers' Hospitality - October 2025 and (b) MHCLG: ministerial meetings, October to December 2025.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.