Written questions by Simmonds.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2026 to Question 105978 on second homes: council tax, whether he has made any assumption on changes in the adoption of (a) second and (b) empty home council tax premiums when estimating the council tax requirement over the three years of the settlement.

As part of the provisional local government finance settlement, the government has made estimates of changes to Core Spending Power between 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29. This includes estimates of council tax requirements councils will set for those years which take account of estimated taxbase growth. These estimates, and the underpinning methodology are set out here. The government has not made assumptions about changes in the adoption of second home or empty home council tax premiums. These decisions remain a matter for local discretion. The way council tax in Core Spending Power is estimated is unchanged from previous Local Government Finance Settlements. The inclusion of council tax premium income in Core Spending Power does not affect how much local authorities receive through our assessment of relative need and resources, which assumes that authorities make no use of their discretionary discounts and premiums in order to protect the principle of local discretion. The Government will review the approach to calculating Core Spending Power ahead of the 2027-28 Settlement.

What is the total budget for the Valuation Office Agency's Council Tax Valuation Operating System; and which contractors are being used to deliver the project.

Information about the Valuation Office Agency’s Valuation Operating System for Council Tax can be found on Contracts Finder.

With reference to the Council Tax Valuation Operating System Evaluation, published by the Valuation Office Agency on 20 January 2026, what are the new geospatial tools, and which datasets is it populated with.

The Valuation Office Agency’s Valuation Operating System for Council Tax replaces multiple existing tools with a single case management system. This includes a mapping tool which utilises publicly available geographical data and government records to support Council Tax work.

Pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2026, to Question 104894, on business rates, and to the answer of 6 January 2025, to Question 20948, on Business Rates: Greater London, whether the Chief Statistician of the Valuation Office Agency has consulted on the change to official statistical publications.

As part of its official statistics, the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) publishes the number of hereditaments by Special Category Code and local authority. The percentage change in RV is also published by Special Category Code and by Local/Unitary authority separately.

Communities and Local Government, what his planned timetable is for laying secondary legislation to cancel the May 2026 local elections for specific local authorities; and whether it will be by negative or affirmation resolution.

The Statutory Instrument to postpone elections for specified local authorities was laid before Parliament on 5 February. The instrument will be considered by the negative resolution procedure.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2026 to Question 106139 on Local Government Finance: City of Westminster and Wandsworth, what the change in core spending power is excluding the council tax requirement.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 106139 on 20 January 2026. The provisional local government Settlement, published on 17 December 2025, sets out individual funding allocations for local authorities. The government consulted on the provisional Settlement and the consultation closed on 14 January 2026. We will publish our response to the consultation in February, alongside the publication of the final Local Government Finance Settlement.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release of 24 September 2025 entitled Communities to seize control over high streets and restore pride, how his Department plans to give councils powers to block fake barbers.

The Pride in Place Strategy set out how this government will empower communities to reclaim their high streets and restore pride to their communities. This includes powers to auction off vacant premises, a new Community Right to Buy for valued assets, and streamlined compulsory purchase orders. We are also taking further steps to target illegal activity on our hight streets. The Budget provided £15 million per year towards measures including enhanced Trading Standards capabilities, an uplift of law enforcement officers, and a new cross-government policy taskforce to better understand criminality on our high streets. This government will also bring forward a High Streets Strategy, backed by at least £150 million of support to help turn the tide on the high streets most in need. This targeted investment will be used to tackle the challenges people care about most.

With reference to the business rates revaluation 2026, whether the base liability for charity shops' (a) transitional rate relief and (b) Supporting Small Business Relief includes the application of mandatory charitable rate relief.

The base liability for charity shops within the transitional relief scheme does not include the application of mandatory or discretionary charitable rate relief. However, charitable relief where applicable is awarded against the bill after Transitional Rate relief. A charity is not eligible for Supporting Small Business Rate relief. For more information on Charitable Rate relief, please see: Business rates relief: Charitable rate relief - GOV.UK

With reference to the business rate information letter entitled 1/2026: Pubs and live music venues relief 2026 to 2027, of 27 January 2026, what the cost is of the new relief in (a) 2026-27, (b) 2027-28 and (c) 2028-29.

From April, every pub and live music venue will get 15% off its new business rates bill on top of the support announced at Budget and then bills will be frozen in real terms for a further two years. Final costings will be confirmed at a fiscal event in the usual way. The retail and hospitality sectors will continue to benefit from the £4.3 billion support package announced at Budget. This support package means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.

Further to the business rate information letter, 1/2026: Pubs and live music venues relief 2026 to 2027, whether the new relief is subject to a state aid cap for chain pubs; and whether it will apply to venues subject to the high value multiplier.

From April, every pub and live music venue will get 15% off its new business rates bill on top of the support announced at Budget and then bills will be frozen in real terms for a further two years. Final costings will be confirmed at a fiscal event in the usual way. The retail and hospitality sectors will continue to benefit from the £4.3 billion support package announced at Budget. This support package means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2026 to Question 106139 on Local Government Finance: City of Westminster and Wandsworth, what assumption his Department made on the percentage increase in the level of Band D council tax in each of the individual three years of the Settlement on which the increase in council tax requirement for (a) Westminster and (b) Wandsworth was estimated.

It is for individual councils to decide their level of council tax, taking into consideration a range of local factors, including the impact on taxpayers. As has been standard practise with previous governments, the government’s estimate of core spending power, for these councils, assumes that they will increase by 5% in 2026-27 and by 5% plus an additional £150 in both2027-28 and 2028-29.Removing referendum principles in these areas will enable the government to allocate over £250 million more funding for public services in places with higher need instead of subsidising very low bills for 500,000 households in these councils.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the core spending power figures of the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2026 to 2027, published on 17 December 2025, for what reason his Department assessed Manchester City Council's council tax requirement will rise by 31% between 2024-25 and 2028-29; and what proportion of this is based on changes in the level of housebuilding.

As part of the government’s calculation of Core Spending Power we assume 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. This is in line with the approach in previous Local Government Finance Settlements. We published details of this approach in an explanatory note. In line with usual practice and in recognition of the views raised in response to this consultation, the government will continue to keep its methodology for calculating the Core Spending Power of local government under review in future years.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral statement of 22 January 2026, Official Report, Col. 486, on Local government reorganisation, what is the status of the one further representation.

A summary of the decision was provided through the Written Ministerial Statement and the letter sent to council leaders, both of which are publicly available. The Government has no plans to publish the names of respondents who made representations.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the written statement of 22 January 2026, HCWS1270, on Local government reorganisation, if he will list the names of the 350 respondents.

A summary of the decision was provided through the Written Ministerial Statement and the letter sent to council leaders, both of which are publicly available. The Government has no plans to publish the names of respondents who made representations.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department is taking steps to help prevent the misuse of Pride in Place public funds in (a) the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and (b) other local authorities.

On 25 September, the Government launched its overarching Pride in Place Strategy, committing up to £5 billion in funding and support to 339 communities. The flagship Pride in Place Programme will provide up to £20 million in flexible funding and support to 244 neighbourhoods over the next decade. This will serve as the cornerstone of this Government’s support for communities. Alongside this, the £150 million Pride in Place Impact Fund complements the longer-term Pride in Place Programme. It provides short-term funding for immediate improvements to make sure that the places and spaces valued by communities are improved and match the pride people feel for their local areas.The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is not currently a funded area under either Phase 1 or Phase 2 of the Pride in Place Programme, and does not receive funding from the Pride in Place Impact Fund. The Government has put in place robust governance and assurance arrangements to safeguard public funds and prevent misuse across all selected neighbourhoods, with funding delivered through the relevant local authorities acting as the accountable bodies. Programme assurance follows a three lines of defence model, with the first line provided by local authority Chief Financial Officers, the second by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through proportionate, risk-based checks, and the third by MHCLG’s independent auditors. For the Pride in Place Programme, each place must establish a Neighbourhood Board and produce a 10-year Pride in Place Plan, which is subject to approval by the MHCLG and must set out how the activity will be pursued to achieve the three strategic objectives of the programme. MHCLG’s Communities Delivery Unit provides each neighbourhood with a named official to monitor delivery, support governance and escalate any concerns. For the Pride in Place Impact Fund local authorities are tasked with working with local stakeholders to identify and invest in interventions that meet local need. They will receive an area’s allocation to manage, including assessing and approving any onward grant disbursement, processing payments and day-to-day monitoring.

Communities and Local Government, which scheduled town or parish council elections will take place in May 2026 in localities where scheduled principal council elections will be postponed in May 2026 by district council.

Parish and town council elections will be proceeding as planned, given they are outside of local government reorganisation. Information on town and parish councils elections is held by the relevant district councils.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's correspondence entitled 1/2026: Pubs and live music venues relief 2026 to 2027, published on 27 January 2026, for pubs eligible for the £800 Supporting Small Business Relief (SSBR) cap, whether the 15% pubs relief (a) reduces the £800 cap to £680 and (b) reduces the rates liability by 15% before any £800 cap is applied.

Properties eligible for the pub and live music venue relief scheme will benefit from a 15% relief in 2026/27. The 15% relief will be applied after the existing Supporting Small Business Relief scheme. The Treasury have published examples of how the pub and live music venue relief scheme will work. Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief - GOV.UK.

Whether the new pub relief will apply to (a) business rate supplements levied by the Mayor of London and (b) business improvement district levies on business rates.

Decisions around the determination and application of local Business Rates Supplement are for relevant local authority, must ensure they follow the requirements set out in the Business Rates Supplement Act 2009 and the policies set out in their final prospectus.

With reference to her Department's correspondence entitled 1/2026: Pubs and live music venues relief 2026 to 2027, published on 27 January 2026, whether a gastro-pub categorised by the Valuation Office Agency as a restaurant is eligible for the relief; and whether a restaurant with a bar at which customers can sit and order a drink without food makes the venue eligible for the pubs relief.

This relief will be awarded to pubs and live music venues at the discretion of Local Authorities, who will determine eligibility using guidance published by the Government and based on existing definitions.

Communities and Local Government, whether the telecommunication cables by the Royal Mint site will be amended or moved when the Chinese Embassy is built.

Details of the development for which planning permission has been granted in the case in question are set out in the relevant decision letter which can be found on gov.uk here.