Written questions by Simmonds.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's document entitled Environmental Outcomes Reports: a new approach to environmental assessment - government response, updated on 13 March 2026, whether he intends to incorporate Habitats Regulation assessments into the Environmental Outcomes Reports regime using powers under Section 164 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023.

Through the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, the previous government secured powers to bring forward a new domestic framework to replace the current EIA and SEA environmental assessment regimes. The purpose of Section 164 of that Act is to allow Environmental Outcomes Reports Regulations to manage interactions with existing environmental assessment legislation, including the Habitats Regulations. Detailed arrangements for how Environmental Outcome Reports will operate will be set out in regulations and guidance. The government will consult on these draft regulations in due course following policy development and engagement with key stakeholders. Until a new system is implemented, existing legislation on environmental assessment and its supporting guidance continues to apply.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's document entitled Environmental Outcomes Reports: a new approach to environmental assessment - government response, updated 13 March 2026, whether the new Environmental Outcomes Reports will monitor Scope (a) 1, (b) 2 and (c) 3 carbon emissions.

Through the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, the previous government secured powers to bring forward a new domestic framework to replace the current EIA and SEA environmental assessment regimes. The purpose of Section 164 of that Act is to allow Environmental Outcomes Reports Regulations to manage interactions with existing environmental assessment legislation, including the Habitats Regulations. Detailed arrangements for how Environmental Outcome Reports will operate will be set out in regulations and guidance. The government will consult on these draft regulations in due course following policy development and engagement with key stakeholders. Until a new system is implemented, existing legislation on environmental assessment and its supporting guidance continues to apply.

Communities and Local Government, if he will set out the process of deciding boundaries for shadow unitary authority elections in 2027, including in those existing districts which will be split between two proposed unitary authorities.

The Department is liaising closely with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (the Commission). The Secretary of State invited the Commission to respond as a named consultee on all proposals received that involved boundary change requests splitting districts between new unitary councils. With regard to electoral boundaries within new councils, these will be reflected in the Structural Changes Order that establishes them, once Ministers have decided which proposals to implement. For the first elections, anticipated in May 2027, we ask councils to provide us with their suggested interim warding arrangements for inclusion in the structural changes order, based on existing wards, divisions or, where appropriate, parishes. The Commission can offer advice and guidance to councils as they draw up these boundaries. The Commission intend to undertake a full electoral review of all new councils after their first election and before their second.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's factsheet, Political Donations Overview: existing rules and what is changing, of 2 March 2026, what assessment his Department made of the potential impact of the new corporate donation rules on the ability of all political parties to raise corporate sponsorship at their annual party political conferences.

In terms of small, micro, and unlimited companies, where statements are not available on Companies House the company must provide revenue statements to political parties in order to make a donation.As set out in Representation of the People Bill Impact Assessment, Table 8, we estimate that around 26% - 29% of donations from companies made in the year prior to the 2024 General Election would not meet the permissibility criteria. All businesses, including small businesses, will need to meet strict new criteria in order to make political donations. Requiring donors to demonstrate a genuine UK connection is key in protecting against foreign actors from using shell companies to channel foreign or illicit money into UK politics.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued guidance to local authorities on the flying of flags on buildings which are designated polling stations on polling day.

The independent Electoral Commission is responsible for issuing guidance to Returning Officers, including on the appropriateness of the flying of flags in and around polling stations.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of local government restructuring on the (a) administration and (b) viability of the Eden Project Morecambe.

During the local government reorganisation process, it is expected that councils continue to deliver their services and duties as usual until reorganisation is complete. The proposed restructuring of local government has not been raised, in discussion between officials and the project, as having an impact on delivery. Following the completion of reorganisation, commitments undertaken by existing councils will become the responsibility of any new unitary authorities.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the factsheet entitled Political Donations Overview: existing rules and what is changing, how political parties should establish the audited revenues of small and micro-companies, and unlimited companies, under the new proposed corporate political donation regime.

In terms of small, micro, and unlimited companies, where statements are not available on Companies House the company must provide revenue statements to political parties in order to make a donation.As set out in Representation of the People Bill Impact Assessment, Table 8, we estimate that around 26% - 29% of donations from companies made in the year prior to the 2024 General Election would not meet the permissibility criteria. All businesses, including small businesses, will need to meet strict new criteria in order to make political donations. Requiring donors to demonstrate a genuine UK connection is key in protecting against foreign actors from using shell companies to channel foreign or illicit money into UK politics.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the factsheet entitled Political Donations Overview: existing rules and what is changing, published on 2 March 2026, whether the new provisions on (a) due diligence, (b) company donations, (c) crypto-donation and (d) overseas donations will apply to donations to gifts and hospitality to Ministers in a Ministerial capacity.

The political finance measures set out in the government’s factsheet Political Donations Overview: existing rules and what is changing relate to donations regulated under electoral law, including donations to political parties, candidates and campaigners. Donations rules under electoral law do not apply to ministers.The acceptance and declaration of gifts and hospitality by Ministers continue to be governed by the Ministerial Code. No changes are being made to those rules as part of these reforms.

Communities and Local Government, what methodology his Department uses when calculating a council taxbase in the context of the Local Government Finance Settlement.

The government believes it is right to continue to calculate Core Spending Power in line with the approach used at previous Settlements. We are therefore assuming each authority’s council tax base increases in line with the average annual growth in their council tax base between 2021-22 and 2025-26. We are rewarding local authorities for housebuilding by not making a council tax base projection in Fair Funding Allocations awarded through the Local Government Finance Settlement. Any increase in council tax income from new homes will therefore be additional across the multi-year Settlement.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2026 to Question 105396 on Eden Project: Morecambe, whether he has had discussions with representatives from (a) Lancaster City Council and (b) any other sponsors of the Eden Project on (i) changes to the number of domes built as part of the project and (ii) any other potential development options since July 2024.

I have had no engagement. My officials have as part of regular monitoring as per the answer given to Question UIN 120470 on 19 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook, 3 March 2026, para 3.41, and Table A.5, what estimate he has made of the potential impact on policy changes on referendum thresholds on the amount of council tax to be collected in (a) 2026-27, (b) 2027-28, (c) 2028-2029, (d) 2029-2030 and (e) 2030-31 financial years.

The Government has provided councils with longer-term certainty through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. As part of this, we have set out our intention to maintain 3% + 2% referendum principles for the vast majority of councils in each year of the multi-year Settlement. The OBR has based its forecasts to 2030-31 on this and noted that policy changes announced since November are forecast to add £0.4 billion to council tax receipts by 2030-31.The Government has not taken any decisions on referendum principles beyond the period of the multi-year settlement. Council tax levels are ultimately a matter for local authorities.

Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of unauthorised traveller sites were established during (a) weekends and (b) bank holidays in (i) 2026, (ii) 2025, (iii) 2024, (iv) 2023, (v), 2022 and (vi) 2021.

My Department does not hold the required information.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2026 to Question 109265 on Local Government: Elections, which (a) people and (b) organisations submitted evidence, excluding ordinary members of the public.

A summary of the representations submitted is set out in the Explanatory Memorandum prepared at the time and can be found on gov.uk here. The government currently has no plans to publish individual representations received.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2026, to Question 111685, on Local Government Finance, if he will publish the underlying datasets referenced in each of the technical notes in the "Methodology for the Fair Funding Review reforms" section of the Settlement website.

The technical notes published as part of the final multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement published on 9 February 2026 include footnotes, which provide links to the underlying datasets such as the ONS’ population projections and the 2025 Indices of Multiple Deprivation. A few underlying datasets, such as the National Pupil Database, contain sensitive or proprietary information and so have restricted access.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued guidance to local billing authorities on (a) the hierarchy of liability for the second homes council tax premium and (b) who is responsible for paying (i) council tax and (ii) the second homes council tax premium if someone is occupying a property as a second home.

The government has not published guidance on the assessment of council tax liability. Liability for council tax is determined by billing authorities who will consider the facts of each case against the hierarchy of liability set out in section 6 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2026, to Question 105396, on Eden Project: Morecambe, what assessment has his department made for the reasons to the scaling back of the Eden Project since July 2024.

Since July 2024 the Eden Project Morecambe team has continued design work. An update on potential options for the development, including their size and scale, was presented to MHCLG in March 2025. These options were subject to ongoing community conversations. In September 2025, the department launched the Local Regeneration Fund which provided certainty of funding and flexibility to Local Authorities, including Lancaster City Council as sponsors of the Eden Project Morecambe. The Eden Project Morecambe team submitted a planning application for their preferred option on the 15th of October 2025. The planning application proposal has been approved, subject to S106 approval and 6 week judicial review period.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his proposed changes to voter identification requirements, whether Bank Cards would need to have a (a) photograph and (b) full name to be accepted as identification.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 116475 answered on 9 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, whether local authority Returning Officers, in the areas with cancelled council elections in May 2026 which have now been reinstated, will be financially indemnified by HM Government.

Local government elections are the responsibility of local authorities, which appoint and fund Returning Officers and meet the costs of administering local polls. Returning Officers are personally legally liable for the conduct of local elections and make their own arrangements to insure against risks arising from the discharge of their statutory duties at local and UK Parliamentary elections. This cover usually forms part of the local authority’s own insurance arrangements.Indemnities are only provided in limited and exceptional circumstances, and no such exceptional circumstances apply in relation to the May 2026 local government elections.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been of the potential impact of the Local Government Pension Scheme pooling has (a) increased and (b) reduced (i) administrative costs and (ii) fund performance.

The scale and expertise of the asset pools have delivered a step change in the expertise, capacity and resilience of the Local Government Pension Scheme. Since the inception of asset pooling, the total costs reported by LGPS asset pools is £792 million, but they have delivered net savings of £1.17 billion. The reforms currently being implemented will bring all LGPS assets under pool management, delivering scale and consolidation, and facilitating greater access to a wider range of asset classes including private markets. In the new pooling landscape, asset pools will have the ability to bring investment capacity in-house and make investments directly rather than via an intermediary, and the opportunity to negotiate lower management and performance fees. The government recognises that there are transition costs associated with implementing the reforms. These transition costs will, however, be one-off upfront costs that will shape the scheme for the coming decades and set it up for even greater success for the future. We expect that they will be recouped in the long-term through savings and improved investment performance.

Communities and Local Government, what is the planned implementation date for the lowering of the voting age to 16.

The government was elected on a manifesto commitment to extend the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds in all UK elections. To deliver this commitment, the Representation of the People Bill was introduced Parliament on 12 February 2026 and received its Second Reading in the House of Commons on 2 March 2026. Extending the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds represents a significant change to the electoral franchise and requires careful planning to implement effectively. Subject to Parliamentary passage of the Bill, the government intends for the franchise change to be in place in good time ahead of the next UK Parliamentary General Election.