Written questions by Cleverly.

Communities and Local Government, how much Luton Borough Council received in retained business rates in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26, and what are the projected figures for each of the next three years under the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026-27.

Luton Borough Council reported their retained business rates for 2024-25 to the department here in the document ‘Revenue outturn summary (RS) 2024 to 2025’, in the ‘LA Dropdown’ tab line 870. For 2025-26, their estimated retained business rates is here in the document ‘Revenue Account Budget (RA) data 2025-26 (part 1)’, in the ’LA Dropdown 25-26’ tab in line 970.At the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026-27 to 2028-29 the department published local authorities’ baseline funding levels. The baseline funding level does not represent the total amount of business rates an authority will retain in a year but amount of an individual local authority’s Fair Funding Assessment provided through the local share of retained business rates income. The values for 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29 are published here, in column L of the relevant years’ tabs.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2025 to Question 95327 on Councillors, whether the £120 million includes the cost of mayoral offices where mayors take on the role of Police and Crime Commissioners.

The £120 million cost estimating the savings through a potential reduction in the number of councillors does not include the costs of mayoral officers where mayors take on the role of Police and Crime Commissioners as this was not considered a linked cost of local government reorganisation. The £130 million cost estimate from the abolition of Police and Crime Commissioners does include the costs of both Mayors and newly created Policing and Crime Boards taking on the functions.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department given on whether local planning authorities may waive retrospective Community Infrastructure Levy charges on self-build and extensions where administrative errors were made by applicants in good faith; and whether he plans to provide new or updated guidance following the ruling of R (Luck) v Bracknell Forest BC [2025] EWHC 2984 (Admin).

The government has not issued official guidance to local planning authorities on matters relating to enforcement decisions on Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charges previously levied on householder developers. CIL charging authorities are ultimately responsible and accountable for their own decisions on charging and enforcement of CIL. That said, the government expects charging authorities to consider each case very carefully and in accordance with their legal obligations. The government recognise that procedural requirements relating to exemptions for housebuilder applications under the 2010 CIL regulations have had financial consequences for some homeowners and we remain committed to finding an urgent solution to this issue. We are also aware of the High Court decision in R (Luck) v Bracknell Forest BC [2025] EWHC 2984 (admin). As with any such ruling, its implications on the policy area will be carefully considered.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 90719 on Local Government Finance, which local authorities have notified his Department of disposal flexibility transactions since 4 July 2024.

I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 90719 answered on 24 November 2025. Government does not publish details of the plans submitted by local authorities, but authorities should, in accordance with the guidance that accompanies the direction, make their strategies publicly available, and use of the flexibility should be reported in the annual statement of accounts.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2025, to Question 88641, on Stop Notices, and to the answer of 20 November 2025, to Question 89449, on Planning: Enforcement, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending guidance to facilitate the use of Temporary Stop Notices by local authorities against unauthorised traveller sites.

My Department has no current plans to amend the guidance on temporary stop notices. The criteria for issuing a temporary stop notice, namely that the local planning authority thinks there has been a breach of planning control and that it is expedient for it to be stopped immediately, are set out in legislation. The changes made to the National Planning Policy Framework on 12 December 2024 do not affect this. We have not made an assessment of the effectiveness of temporary stop notices in preventing unauthorised development by travellers.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 88673 on Land: Valuation, what the public interest basis is for not disclosing the Valuation Office Agency’s viability research.

My Department is still analysing the research in question. We will keep the decision to publish any suitable and relevant information under review.

Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities will be able to set planning fees to (a) make a profit for their general fund and (b) reduce the subsidy of planning services from the general fund.

The Planning and Infrastructure Act provides the Secretary of State with the power to delegate the setting of planning fees to local planning authorities. Fees are to be set on a cost-recovery basis and cannot be used to generate a profit for an authority’s general fund. Income from planning fees must be used to deliver an authority’s statutory planning decision-making functions and cannot be used to cross-subsidise other planning services, which should continue to be funded from the general fund. The process for local fee setting will be set out in regulations this year. We will shortly also be consulting on a national default fee, which will be the baseline from which local planning authorities can vary and set their own fees.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2025, to Question 88270, whether the guidance entitled Translation into Foreign Languages, published by the Department for Communities and Local Government on 12 March 2013, Official Report, Column 5WS, remains his department's policy.

The department provides published content in additional languages where appropriate and on a case-by-case basis.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 2 January 2026 to Question 99503 on Councillors: Conduct, whether he plans to consult on the content of the mandatory code of conduct; and whether it will include a requirement to promote equality, diversity and inclusion.

The government response to the local government standards framework consultation published on 11 November 2025 confirmed our intention to legislate to prescribe a mandatory code of conduct. We are continuing to engage with the sector as we develop final detailed policies for implementation.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 2 January 2026 to Question 99491 on Local Government: Public Relations, whether his Department monitors local authority adherence to the Publicity Code provisions on hiring lobbyists to influence the local government restructuring process.

My letter of 19 November reminded councils in reorganisation areas that they must have regard to the Code when producing publicity relating to local government reorganisation. Concerns about specific cases should be raised with the relevant council’s Monitoring Officer.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 74329 on Housing: Construction, whether the Old Oak Common housing target of 9,000 new homes will be met.

The Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation’s Local Development Plan (2018-2038) identified that the Opportunity Area has the capacity to deliver an indicative 25,500 new homes. The development corporation still expects to deliver up to 9,000 homes on public sector land across the site.

Communities and Local Government, which local authorities levy (1) Business Improvement District Levies and (2) Business Rate Supplements in (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27; and what guidance he has issued on revising those supplements following the 2026 rates revaluation.

The Government does not hold a central list of BIDs. However, the organisation British BIDs has developed a BID Index which lists current and developing BIDs in the UK. This can be accessed at: https://britishbids.info/services/bid-index. You can also contact the local authority to find out further information about BIDs in a given area. The Business Rates Supplement Act 2009 permits certain authorities to levy up to 2p per pound of rateable value above a set threshold. In 2025-26, the Greater London Authority was the only authority to levy a Business Rates Supplement which it used to fund the Elizabeth Line. The government has not issued any guidance on revising supplements. Decisions for future years are for the relevant authority and must follow the requirements set out in the Act and the policies set out in their final prospectus.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Chief Planner letter of 24 November 2025, whether councils are required to report (a) interest accrued from unspent funds, (b) interest collected from late payment charges and (c) how interest accrued is spent for Infrastructure Funding Statements.

Schedule 2 of the CIL Regulations 2010 (as amended) requires authorities to report on the total amount of developer contributions received, spent, allocated and retained through CIL and section 106 at the end of the reported year. CIL receipts collected, which includes any late payment interest and surcharges paid by a developer, must be used for the purposes which are set out in section 216 of the Planning Act 2008 and Part 7 of the CIL Regulations. Further to the answers provided to Questions UIN 84954 and 54059 on 4 November 2025 and 6 June 2025 respectively, the Planning Advisory Service has recently published additional resources on its website to support local planning authorities in their infrastructure planning and delivery.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 89460 on Housing: Greater Manchester, if he will publish that independent evaluation.

The independent evaluation in question was commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and a decision on whether to publish it is therefore for the GMCA not my Department.

Communities and Local Government, whether he is taking steps to prevent above-inflation increases to town and parish council precepts as a consequence of local government restructuring.

Parish councils decide the level of their council tax precept. This will reflect the service needs of each area having taken account of their other sources of income. To date no referendum principles have been set for these types of authority but the government expects them to consider carefully the pressure they place on taxpayers. The government keep this position under review, taking into account the increases set by the sector.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2025 to Question 66201 on Council Tax, whether the non-police element of the (a) GLA precept and (b) combined authority mayoral precepts are included in the £2,000 assessments.

The updated distribution proposed in the Fair Funding Review 2.0 includes a resource adjustment to take account of a local authority's ability to raise income locally when allocating funding as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. As set out in the response to Question UIN 66201, the notional council tax used in this adjustment is set at the average Band D level of Council Tax in England. This includes the social care precept and the fire precept but does not include police or parish precepts. Mayoral precepts are not included, except for the fire element.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2025 to Question 97132 on Housing: Greater Manchester, if he will itemise the data provided to his Department by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority under Schedule 3 of the agreement since July 2024.

Further to the answers provided to Questions UIN 84646 and 97132 on 4 November 2025 and 15 December 2025 respectively, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) provides my Department with the data set out under Schedule 3 of the Facility Agreement. Whilst that Agreement has been released, the financial data sent by GMCA to my Department is exempt from disclosure under section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as disclosure would be likely to harm the commercial interests of the GMCA.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued guidance to local authorities on second homes council tax premiums on empty dwellings which are (a) furnished, (b) not occupied by any resident and (c) not long-term empty.

The Government has published guidance on the application of council tax premiums. This is available here. Councils have the discretionary power to charge a council tax premium on second homes (dwellings which are substantially furnished but no one’s main residence) and long-term empty homes (dwellings which have been substantially unfurnished and unoccupied for one or more years).

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the (a) higher empty homes council tax premium from April 2025 and (b) abolition of the New Homes Bonus on the number of empty homes.

The Government does not make assessments of the housing market based on council tax premiums. It is for individual councils to decide whether to make use of council tax premiums based on their own local circumstances. In regard to the New Homes Bonus, I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 73762 on 9 September 2025.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, November 2025, of 31 December 2025, what the topic and terms of reference were for the Employment Rights Bill Research by Verian Group UK Limited with reference 5105606902; and what the timetable is for the publication of that research.

The government’s Plan to Make Work Pay will improve living standards, support economic growth, and provide more security for people in work. The research, developed with Department for Business and Trade (DBT), was a survey of precariously employed people, such as those on zero hours contracts. The survey aimed to understand the hidden, out-of-pocket costs faced by those with uncertain working hours, such as paying for last minute childcare or travel changes. The work has been shared with DBT to support the government’s ongoing work and will be published in line with Government Social Research protocols.