Written questions by Simmonds.

With reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the allocation of funds from the Growth Mission Fund.

The Growth Mission Fund will invest £240 million of capital from 2026/27 to 2029/30 in projects that enable local job creation and the economic regeneration of local communities. Further detail on this fund and the criteria that will be applied for project selection will be set out in due course.

With reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of closing all asylum hotels in this Parliament on local authorities.

The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders and consider a range of options to fulfil its legal obligations and deliver its commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, and to end the use of hotels by the end of Parliament.Current accommodation funding arrangements are published on GOV.UK: Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction - GOV.UK

With reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, how much funding her Department plans to provide to local authorities to help support the closure of all asylum hotels in this Parliament.

The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders and consider a range of options to fulfil its legal obligations and deliver its commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, and to end the use of hotels by the end of Parliament.Current accommodation funding arrangements are published on GOV.UK: Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction - GOV.UK

With reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, whether she has had recent discussions with the Home Secretary on the closure of all asylum hotels in this Parliament.

The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders and consider a range of options to fulfil its legal obligations and deliver its commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, and to end the use of hotels by the end of Parliament.Current accommodation funding arrangements are published on GOV.UK: Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction - GOV.UK

With reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, whether her Department has received representations from local authorities on the potential impact of closing all asylum hotels in this Parliament on local authorities.

The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders and consider a range of options to fulfil its legal obligations and deliver its commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, and to end the use of hotels by the end of Parliament.Current accommodation funding arrangements are published on GOV.UK: Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction - GOV.UK

With reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, what financial support her Department will provide to local authorities to mitigate the impact of closing asylum hotels.

The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders and consider a range of options to fulfil its legal obligations and deliver upon its commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, and to end the use of hotels by the end of this Parliament.Current accommodation funding arrangements are published on GOV.UK: Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction - GOV.UK.

Whether the Register of Ministers’ Gifts and Hospitality includes gifts that have been (a) returned and (b) reimbursed to the original donor.

The Register of Ministers’ Gifts and Hospitality is a declaration of hospitality received and gifts given and received in a ministerial capacity, in line with ministers’ obligations under the Ministerial Code. The Cabinet Office publishes guidance setting out the process that departments should follow to complete the publication of the Register of Ministers’ Gifts and Hospitality:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministers-gifts-and-hospitality-publication-guidance/ministers-gifts-and-hospitality-publication-guidance.

Whether she has made an assessment of the impact of The Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 on faith groups.

The Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) (Amendment) Regulations 2022, introduced by the previous Government, made permanent the temporary provisions allowing civil marriage and civil partnership ceremonies to take place outdoors in the grounds of approved premises in England and Wales. These changes did not extend to permitting outdoor religious marriages in the grounds of places of worship, for those religious groups who are currently unable to conduct legal weddings outdoors. The previous Government ran a consultation which considered a range of views and potential impacts.The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law highlighted a number of issues within the current legal framework, including inconsistencies affecting faith groups. Given the points raised by the Law Commission, it is right that we take the time to consider these issues. We will set out our position on weddings reform in the coming months.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 28 May 2025 to Question 53568 on Land: Greater London, what the planning status is of Metropolitan Open Land designated by the Mayor of London in the London Plan; and whether it has the status of Green Belt for the purposes of the references in the Framework.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 53920 on 6 June 2025.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to articles 35 and 40 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015, whether (a) the Chinese government and (b) its agents have submitted sensitive information on the Chinese Embassy planning application that has been kept separate from the main register.

All Inquiry documents for this case are publicly available on Tower Hamlets website here.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of previous local government restructuring on costs from pension strain in the Local Government Pension Scheme.

We have made no such assessment. As I stated in my answer to UIN 52862, local government reorganisation will have impacts on the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). We expect councils to work with relevant administering authorities on any implications of restructuring on the LGPS. The cost of any restructuring, including pensions, will depend on locally made decisions and the demographics and pension service of any staff leaving post.

Communities and Local Government, whether (a) her Department and (b) local government improvement bodies financed through departmental funding centrally (i) collate and (ii) monitor the practice or frequency of local authorities operating four day weeks on full pay.

Local authorities are independent employers responsible for the management of their own workforces. While it is not government policy to support a four-day working week in local authorities, the government will not be micromanaging them on this and does not collect data on this working practice.

With reference to the official statistics entitled Wider Determinants of Health: statistical commentary on the location of fast food outlets, February 2025, published on 10 February 2025, whether (a) Greggs, (b) Subway and (c) Pret a Manger were considered fast food outlets; and whether they were included under Indicator ID 94124 in his Department's data set on Wider Determinants of Health.

Fast food is considered to be food that is energy dense and available quickly, usually via a counter service, for consumption on or off the premise. Neither the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities nor its predecessor, Public Health England, have a formally agreed definition of a fast food outlet, and a list of fast food outlets is not held centrally. Data from the Food Standards Agency’s Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) was used to populate the fast food outlets per 100,000 population indicator, which was published in the Wider Determinants of Health: statistical commentary on the location of fast food outlets, from February 2025. The statistical commentary is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/wider-determinants-of-health-february-2025-update/wider-determinants-of-health-statistical-commentary-february-2025 The FHRS’ data categorises food premises into business types only. Therefore, criteria were developed to select food premises from the FHRS data that best fit the definition of fast food. In addition, all premises from the ‘takeaway/sandwich shop’ business type have been included. All outlets which meet these criteria are included in the indicator. The names of individual outlets are not published.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has provided guidance to (a) elected representatives, (b) political parties and (c) community groups on obtaining a (i) street trading and (ii) highways licence for a street stall in a public place.

The provision and administration of street trading and highways licences are the responsibility of Local Authorities under either the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 or the London Local Authorities Act 1990, depending on their location. The Government has not issued guidance on how to apply. However, signposting to local authority guidance is provided via gov.uk.

Whether she has received recent representations from London boroughs on the provision of additional funding to house asylum seekers following the reduction in hotel accommodation for asylum seekers around Heathrow Airport.

The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders and consider a range of options to fulfil its legal obligations and deliver upon the commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, and to end the use of hotels over time.Current accommodation funding arrangements are published on GOV.UK: Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction - GOV.UK

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the reduction in hotel accommodation for asylum seekers around Heathrow Airport on neighbouring local authorities.

The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders and consider a range of options to fulfil its legal obligations and deliver upon the commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, and to end the use of hotels over time.Current accommodation funding arrangements are published on GOV.UK: Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction - GOV.UK

Whether any external contractors were procured by (a) Downing Street and (b) the Cabinet Office in relation to the Prime Minister’s visit to Cambridgeshire Police headquarters on 10 April 2025.

The Neighbourhood Policing announcement was made by the government on 9 April. A link to the announcement made on 9 April can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-measures-to-put-neighbourhood-bobbies-back-on-beat The visit in question on 10 April was not an official government visit and therefore no civil service support was provided.

Communities and Local Government, whether Mo Baines disclosed membership to the (a) Chair, (b) Chief Executive and (c) her Department of any significant political activity in her application for the non-executive director role.

Mo Baines provided a full declaration of interests to MHCLG prior to her appointment as Interim Lead Non-Executive Director. This was shared with the Department in line with the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies.

Whether Downing Street (a) photographers, (b) videographers and (c) special advisers accompanied the Prime Minister on his Cambridgeshire visit of 10 April 2025.

The Neighbourhood Policing announcement was made by the government on 9 April. A link to the announcement made on 9 April can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-measures-to-put-neighbourhood-bobbies-back-on-beat The visit in question on 10 April was not an official government visit and therefore no civil service support was provided.

Whether any external contractors were procured by her Department in relation to her press conference at the Cambridgeshire Police headquarters on 10 April 2025.

No.