Every parliamentary written question tabled by David Simmonds this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 161–180 of 683 · this parliament
What information the Valuation Office Agency. holds on the number of (a) religious retreats, (b) caravan parks for recreational use and (c) recreational campsites there are in each local authority.
The Valuation Office Agency publishes an annual stock of properties in the Rating List on GOV.UK. The most recent release details the stock and value of properties on the 2023 rating lists as at 31 March 2025. Information relating to your request can be found here.
What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the size of the Valuation Office Agency’s backlog in relation to (a) business rates and (b) council tax appeals.
The VOA works closely with government partners to ensure it is adequately resourced and to develop delivery plans which align with planned consultation and legislative timelines.
Whether her Department is issued guidance on the political uniform ban in the Public Order Act 1936 and the definition of a uniform.
The Public Order Act 1936 aimed to control and regulate the wearing of uniform in a public place or at a public meeting if that uniform signifies association with a political organisation or promotes a political object.The Home Office has not considered issuing guidance specifically on the political uniform ban under the Public Order Act 1936. Enforcement of this provision remains an operational matter for the police.
How much funding her Department provided to strategic migration partnership in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.
The Home Office does not currently publish funding levels to Strategic Migration Partnerships, previous years funding can be found here Government Grants Data and Statistics
Pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2025 to Question 95894 on Housing: council tax, whether the Valuation Office Agency holds council tax dwelling data by band based on those geographies.
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) publishes Council Tax statistics on GOV.UK. The Council Tax stock of properties publication provides the number of properties by Council Tax band, administrative area and Westminster Parliamentary Constituency in England and Wales.
Pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2025, to Question 96551, on Police: accountability, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of adding district-level licensing authorities in two-tier areas to the new Policing and Crime Boards.
The Government intends to legislate as soon as Parliamentary time allows to create Policing and Crime Boards to replace Police and Crime Commissioners where it is not possible for policing functions to be held by a Strategic Authority Mayor. These changes will take effect in May 2028.Councils in two-tier areas are currently undergoing local government reorganisation, and the Government is on track to deliver unitary local government in all areas by 2028. Therefore, no district-level authorities will exist from that point.
Pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2025, to Question 95885, on Council tax, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the council tax surcharge on other tax receipts.
As set out in response to Question 95885 on 9th December 2025, the forecast impact on other tax receipts is set out in the published costings document here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/692872fd2a37784b16ecf676/Budget_2025-Policy_Costings.pdf
Pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2025 to Question 95397 on Business Rates, if he will publish the change in rateable values by special category code by local authority.
The Valuation Office Agency currently have no plans to publish this information.
Whether the Valuation Office Agency has made an estimate of the number of dwellings in each local authority that could be liable for the council tax surcharge.
The Valuation Office Agency estimates fewer than 1% of properties in England are expected to be liable for the High Value Council Tax surcharge.
What information her Department holds on what intelligence was shared by West Midlands Police with (a) the UK Football Policing Unit, (b) the National Police Chiefs Council and (c) her Department.
The Home Affairs Select Committee held evidence sessions on 1 December and 6 January to examine West Midlands Police’s intelligence assessments underpinning the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters.As I committed to the House of Commons, I have provided details of my correspondence with the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police to the Home Affairs Select Committee. Correspondence and evidence submitted to the Committee are routinely published on its official website, ensuring full transparency.In addition, the Home Office has published HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary’s inspection report, which considers the information and intelligence in respect of the match assessment and categorisation produced by West Midlands Police. The report can be found at the following link: Inspection of police forces’ contributions to safety advisory groups: West Midlands Police - GOV.UK
What estimate she has made of the potential impact of the higher Rateable Values in the 2026 business rate revaluation on revenue from the Crossrail Business Rate Supplement; and whether the multiplier or threshold for the supplement will be amended.
This is a matter for the Mayor of London.
Pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025, to Question 94192, on Holiday Accommodation: Taxation, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of applying the levy to asylum seekers in hotels on costs to the public purse.
The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide support to destitute asylum seekers and as such these are not discretionary overnight stays.The Government’s position remains that the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers is undesirable and unsustainable. Work is underway to expand the dispersal estate and develop alternative accommodation models to better deliver value for money and reduce impact on communities.To support local authorities, the Home Office provides significant grant funding to manage the pressures associated with asylum accommodation. This includes the Asylum Grant 395 which is designed to offset costs for councils and support local services impacted by the use of hotels and other accommodation. Under this grant local authorities received an initial payment of £1,200 per bedspace occupied on 30 March 2025; with £100 per month for each additional occupied bedspace between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.Additional grant funding is available for the support of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and care leavers. These grants form part of a wider package of measures to ensure that local authorities are not disproportionately burdened by the statutory asylum support system.
What data her Department collects on the religion of migrants, other than through the Census.
UVKI do not request this information as part of the visa application process.Asylum claimants are asked for information about their religion as part of the asylum screening (registration) process, during the substantive asylum interview and when submitting evidence in support of their claim. This information is recorded on any interview record and within the claimant’s electronic file.As part of the asylum process, the asylum decision-maker must determine whether the claimant has a characteristic (or be perceived to have a characteristic) which could cause them to fear persecution for a ‘Convention reason’, one of which is ‘religion’. We do not publish the number of asylum claims that were made on the basis of someone’s religion.
What the gross cost of the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief was in 2025-26.
The information requested is available at this link.
Pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2025 to Question 97277 on Business Rates: Tax Allowances, whether the Valuation Office Agency’s online calculator on the gov.uk website is correctly applying 2025-26 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure rate relief when estimating the base liability and the subsequent value of 2026-27 transitional relief.
The business rates estimator tool was, in accordance with standard practice, taken down on Friday 16 January ahead of local authorities issuing business rates bills in the coming weeks.
With reference to the answer of 9 December 2025, to Question HL12288, on Council tax, what is the increase in police spending power on average across the Phase 2 settlement excluding the revenue raised from increasing council tax.
The provisional police funding settlement (18 December) published that total funding to Territorial Police Forces will be up to £18.3 billion, an increase of up to £746 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. This equates to a 4.2% cash increase and a 2.0% real terms increase for the policing system. Total grant funding to Police and Crime Commissioners will increase by up to £382 million next year, a 3.3% cash increase.Council tax levels are a local decision, and elected Police and Crime Commissioners will rightly want to consider the balance between increasing resources for policing local communities and the overall council tax burden.Police funding is agreed on an annual basis and allocations beyond 2026–27 will be determined as part of future police funding settlements.
Whether the Prime Minister has recused himself on matters relating to the regulation and taxation of landlords.
This Government has strengthened the Ministerial Code. Decisions relating to recusals are made with advice from the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. Any relevant ministerial interests are published in the quarterly ‘List of Ministers’ Interests’. All tax decisions are taken by the Chancellor.
Whether leasehold properties are valued for council tax based on their actual sale price or a notional assumed lease length.
The VOA values all properties for Council Tax in line with legislation.
What her Department’s latest forecasts are for the value of annual CPI inflation in (a) September 2026 and (b) September 2027.
HM Treasury does not produce forecasts for the UK economy. Forecasting the economy is the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which published its latest forecast on 26 November 2025.In their most recent Economic and Fiscal Outlook, the OBR forecast CPI inflation to be 2.3% in Q3 2026 and 2.0% in Q3 2027.
Whether Energy Performance Certificate data will be used by the Valuation Office Agency to assist the council tax surcharge valuations.
The Valuation Office Agency is developing its specific approach to the High Value Council Tax Surcharge work and will set out more details in due course, alongside the government's consultation.