Written questions by Cleverly.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Muslim Council of Britain is eligible to apply for funding through the Windrush Day Grant Scheme 2026.

The government does not engage with the Muslim Council of Britain. The Windrush Day Grant Scheme assesses all applications in line with the published eligibility criteria: Windrush Day Grant Scheme 2026 - GOV.UK. Organisations do not need to be Windrush‑specific, but they must show that their project will genuinely involve and benefit the Windrush community. All applications are considered on this basis. Meeting the eligibility criteria does not in itself imply that funding will be awarded; applications are considered holistically against the aims and requirements of the scheme.

Communities and Local Government, whether local planning authorities are required to inform him when making an Article 4 direction in relation to restricting permitted development rights.

Local planning authorities are required to send a copy of all Article 4 directions made to the Secretary of State, as set out in Schedule 3 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to amend the the National Planning Policy Framework to define a fast food outlet.

The government is consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that includes clearer, more rules-based policies for decision-making and plan-making. Through the consultation, we are seeking feedback on the application of the term ‘fast food outlets’ in planning decisions, and whether any further clarity could be provided on the types of establishments this policy should apply to. The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether he holds data on (1) the aggregate number of hereditaments which claimed Retail, Hospitality and Leisure rate relief in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26, (2) the average Rateable Value of such hereditaments, (3) the distribution of Special Category Code of such hereditaments and (4) any such data by local authority.

The number of hereditaments receiving the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief as at 31 December 2024 can be found in Table 4 on gov.uk here. This is based on a snapshot taken by local authorities on or as close to the 31 December 2024. The snapshot as at 31 December 2025 is currently being collected and will be published by the end of March. The Department does not collect data on the rateable value or the Special Category code of the hereditaments that received this relief.

Communities and Local Government, how much his Department has spent with Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners Limited since July 2024; and for what purposes.

Since July 2024, £608,970 has been spent with Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners Ltd in connection with contracts that the Department had, and has, with the firm. Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners Ltd provides technical planning advice relating to a number of planning decisions to be taken by the government and has provided advice that supported the work of the New Towns independent Task Force.

Communities and Local Government, whether Government business rate (1) transitional relief and (2) Supporting Small Business Relief applies to the (a) Business Improvement District supplements and (b) Crossrail / GLA business rate supplement, in 2026-27 where the increased Rateable Value of a hereditament following the revaluation has (i) made the property liable for the supplement or (ii) increased the existing liability for the supplement.

The application and calculation of BID supplements and the Business Rates Supplement in London are matters for the BID body and the GLA respectively. The government does not determine these levies.

Communities and Local Government, how will the uplift in Rateable Values of airports in the 2026 Rating List, relative to the 2023 Rating List, affect the revenue of local billing authorities with airports in their localities.

At revaluations, adjustments through the business rates retention system ensure that as far as possible local authorities do not see a change in the income they raise from business rates. In 2026-27, the business rates retention system is being reset as part of the design of the multi-year settlement which will also deliver the Fair Funding Review reforms. The reset includes a new measurement of all local authorities’ income which takes into account the impact of the 2026 revaluation, and reallocates business rates funding according to an updated measurement of local government funding need.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance he has given to business improvement districts on whether they should adjust their multiplier supplement as a consequence of the increase in Rateable Values from the 2026 business rates revelation.

The Secretary of State has not issued any guidance to Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) on adjusting levy arrangements or supplements in response to changes in rateable values from the 2026 business rates revaluation. BID levies are set locally through ballot‑approved proposals and are not automatically affected by national revaluation or multipliers, so any adjustment is a matter for the individual BID under its governing arrangements.

Communities and Local Government, what representations his Department has received on reports of councils breaking the Local Government Publicity Code in relation to lobbying campaigns on restructuring.

On 19 November 2025 I wrote to all councils in the local government reorganisation areas to remind them that they must have regard to the Recommended Code of Practice for Local Authority Publicity when developing and pursuing reorganisation proposals, and that the Secretary of State has powers, in Section 4A of the Local Government Act 1986, to direct compliance with some, or all, of the Code. Representations on Publicity Code cases occur following Secretary of State deciding to pursue a case and issuing a council with a notice of the proposed direction(s). No such notice of directions have been issued to date in regard to council publicity on reorganisation.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2026, to Question 103292, on Asylum: Housing, if he will publish the list of local authorities that his Department has engaged with to date on the new model.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is committed to working in close partnership with local authorities to develop and deliver a new, more sustainable model for asylum accommodation. While we do not plan to publish a list of the individual local authorities we have engaged with, our approach has been designed to ensure we hear from a broad and representative range of local authorities during the development of the new model.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2026, to Question 99205, on Affordable Housing: Asylum, whether any other Government programme is, or will, support the provision of (a) new build, (b) refurbished or (c) converted residential houses or flats for asylum seekers.

The Government is committed to ending the use of asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament. To support this the Home Office are exploring a programme of reforms to the asylum accommodation estate including work to bring back derelict buildings back into use and develop community-led alternatives. Alongside this the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is also launching a new fund to support local authorities to make available basic alternative accommodation so it can be used on a temporary basis to house asylum seekers waiting for their cases to be processed.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Affordable Homes Programme annual report 2024 to 2025, published on 7 January 2026, what was the average grant subsidy in London for the 871 homes completed to date, by (a) social rent, (b) affordable rent, (c) London living rent and (d) affordable home ownership.

The Affordable Homes Programme is delivered in London by the Greater London Authority (GLA). The GLA do not publish the information requested on the basis it is commercially sensitive.

Communities and Local Government, if he will ensure that policies applying to local government members apply to Ministers in his Department.

Ministers are expected to maintain high standards of behaviour and to behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety. The Ministerial Code provides guidance to ministers on how they should act and arrange their affairs in order to uphold these standards. Ministers are responsible for their own behaviour, and are ultimately accountable to the Prime Minister for their conduct under the Ministerial Code

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 90722 on Local Government: Reorganisation, what practical steps his Department has taken to implement the Civil Service Code and the principles of public life set out by the Nolan Committee when a lobbyist working on behalf of a local authority seeks to influence government policy on local government restructuring.

All civil servants are expected to adhere to the Civil Service Code and the Nolan Principles when carrying out their duties, including during engagement with external stakeholders.

Communities and Local Government, how much total government grant will (1) Wandsworth Borough Council and (2) Westminster City Council receive in (a) 2024-25, (b) 2025-26 and (c) 2026-27.

The provisional Settlement 2026–27 will make available almost £78 billion in Core Spending Power (CSP) for local authorities in England, a 5.7% cash-terms increase compared to 2025–26. CSP allocations for individual local authorities through the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-27 can be found here. CSP allocations for individual local authorities for the Local Government Finance Settlement 2024-25 and 2025-26 can be found here and here respectively.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to Local authority capital expenditure and receipts in England: 2024 to 2025 final outturn, Published 6 November 2025, what proportion of the £3.0 billion of total capital receipts in 2024-25 was subject to the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts direction that allows such receipts to spent on revenue expenditure.

The Flexible Use of Capital Receipts general direction was introduced in 2016 by the previous government and remains substantively unchanged. The total value of capital receipts received by local authorities in 2024-25 was £4.3 billion, as reported on gov.uk here. This government has not changed the rules on use of capital receipts; not all capital receipts are eligible for use under the general flexibility. For example, under the direction, eligible capital receipts must be genuine disposals outside of the local authorities’ group structure. Nor does the flexibility override any statutory restrictions that may exist on certain types of assets. The government does not collect specific data on eligible capital receipts held by local authorities. Use of the flexibility is at the discretion of local authorities but must be compliant with the conditions of the general flexibility and their wider statutory duties. The government is clear that its use should represent value for money and be in the best interests of local residents.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2026, to Question 102762, on Countering Foreign Financial Influence and Interference in UK politics independent review, how many civil servants are assigned to support the review; and whether the review will be undertaking any formal call for evidence.

A team of five civil servants has been assigned to support the review. The review will not be undertaking a formal call for evidence, but individuals and organisations are able to submit evidence via the public mailbox - reviewteam@rycroftreview.independent.gov.uk.

Communities and Local Government, further to the press release, Councils offered flexibility to complete reorganisation, of 18 December 2025, whether district council Returning Officers would still be obliged to organise county council elections in May 2026 in their district area, if a scheduled district council election was cancelled but not the county council election.

Yes.

Communities and Local Government, how many hereditaments claimed Retail Hospitality and Leisure rate relief in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26, excluding those at the £110,000 cash cap.

The number of hereditaments receiving the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief as at 31 December 2024 can be found in Table 4 here. This is based on a snapshot taken by local authorities on or as close to the 31 December 2024. It is not possible from the data collected to exclude properties at the cash cap. The snapshot as at 31 December 2025 is currently being collected and will be published by the end of March.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 88734 on Asylum Housing, whether (a) his Department and (b) the Planning Inspectorate has issued guidance on this matter.

Neither my Department nor the Planning Inspectorate has issued any guidance to local authorities on when and how often they can issue stop notices in relation to housing asylum seekers.