Written questions by Cleverly.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2025 to Question 84634 on Personal Care Services: Fraud, what her policy is on the use streamlined compulsory purchase orders to tackle fake barber shops.

It is for local authorities to decide how and when to use their compulsory purchase powers to improve their high streets. Compulsory purchase powers must only be used where negotiations to acquire properties by agreement have failed and there is a compelling case in the public interest.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2025 to Question 78188 on Affordable Housing: Finance, what estimate his Department has made of the 10-year cost of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme in real terms excluding inflation.

At the Spending Review, the government announced £39 billion, in nominal terms, for a new Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) over 10 years from 2026-27 to 2035-36.Economic appraisal for the SAHP business case was carried out following HMT Green Book methodology and used the Green Book discount rate (known as the Social Time Preference Rate) to assess the economic value for money of the programme in present value terms.I otherwise refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 78177 on 3 November 2025 for further details.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of mortgage in possession clauses in planning applications on (a) housebuilding and (b) other development.

My Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of mortgage in possession clauses in planning applications. It is for local planning authorities to consider whether otherwise unacceptable development could be made acceptable through the use of conditions or planning obligations. Such obligations may include mortgage in possession clauses.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2025 to Question 83815 on Permitted Development Rights: Multiple Occupation, what information his Department holds on whether any local authorities have submitted an Article 4 direction to remove permitted development rights for houses in multiple occupation that are occupied by asylum seekers.

My Department does not hold the data in question.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question HL10584 on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, whether there has been a reference back in relation to the (a) security statement and (b) blast assessment.

I refer the Rt. hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 70585 on 15 September 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on how breaches of Temporary Stop Notices can be addressed.

Guidance on temporary stop notices can be found in the Enforcement and post-permission matters section of my Department's Planning Practice Guidance on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's website entitled Make things right, published in October 2025, what was the cost to the public purse of the translation into six languages; and on what basis were those languages chosen.

The cost of translations for the Make Things Right campaign website was £1,081.20. Translations were made of the languages social housing tenants who have English as a second language are most likely to speak.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2025 to Question 76268 on MHCLG: Travel, how much was spent in each of the last six months.

Spend on ministerial travel in taxis and private hire vehicles between June and November 2025 is listed below:June 2025 £4,443.03July 2025 £3,610.92August 2025 £1,885.79September 2025 £1,861.51October 2025 £114.44November 2025 £746.16

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2025 to Question 84635 on English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, if he will list each organisation that the Government discussed the Supplementary Vote with prior to the introduction of the Bill.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government engaged with a wide range of local stakeholders during the development of all the measures in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. We engaged with local stakeholders on all the measures in the Bill ahead of the Bill’s introduction, including the Supplementary Vote change.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2025 to Question 84636 on Eden Project: Morecombe, if he will publish the Memorandum of Understanding; and what proportion of the £50 million of funding is conditional on matched funding.

We have no plans to publish the Memorandum of Understanding signed on 19th November 2024 as the project information is published by the local authority responsible for the project. Available on gov.uk here.The grant funding provided to the project is not conditional on match funding; however, the Local Authority is responsible for securing the additional funds required to deliver the benefits for which the funding was granted.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2025 to Question 84643 on Infrastructure: Planning Permission, if he will publish a list of planning applications that have been submitted in this Parliament but not yet had a decision by (a) name of the project, (b) local authority, (c) application date and (d) target date for a decision.

Data on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, including details such as project name, location, application date, and target decision date, is published and regularly updated on the Planning Inspectorate’s website here.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78283 on Councillors: Misconduct, and with reference to the Cabinet Office consultation principles, for what reason the Government has not yet published its response to the December 2024 consultation.

The Government response to the Strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England consultation was published on 11 November.

Communities and Local Government, which types of asylum seekers accommodation provided under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are subject to (a) council tax and (b) business rates; and what exemptions exist.

All properties are generally liable for either council tax or business rates. Whether a property is assessed for council tax or business rates will depend on whether it is assessed being primarily domestic (council tax) or non-domestic (business rates). There is no mandatory exemption in the council tax system for dwellings which are used for asylum purposes. To the extent that any asylum seekers accommodation is in a non-domestic use, no specific exemption is provided from business rates for such purposes.

Communities and Local Government, what are the internal areas within the proposed Chinese Embassy that would be exempt from UK inspection and verification.

All material planning considerations, including national and international law, will be taken into account in reaching a decision on this case. The full reasons for the decision will be set out in the final decision letter.

Communities and Local Government, what is his Department’s policy on commissioning publicity material in foreign languages aimed at individuals who permanently reside in the UK.

The department does not have a specific policy on commissioning publicity material in foreign languages. The department provides published content in additional languages where appropriate and on a case-by-case basis.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the incidence of unauthorised travellers frustrating Temporary Stop Notices by subdividing land into multiple plots.

My Department has not made a specific estimate of the incidence of unauthorised travellers frustrating Temporary Stop Notices by subdividing land into multiple plots.

Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the submission for a May 2026 election pilot from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets; and whether the Best Value Envoys were consulted on or have reviewed that application.

We are currently reviewing applications from local authorities wishing to pilot at the May 2026 elections and we will share further details in due course. An application from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets is not being considered.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the written statement of 28 October 2025, HCWS998, on Local government reorganisation, and with reference to the debt write-off of Woking Borough Council, whether he plans to do the same for any other councils following restructuring.

In general, as with previous rounds of local government reorganisation, there is no proposal for council debt to be addressed centrally or written off as part of reorganisation. Alongside Woking Borough Council, and as I set out on 13 October, Thurrock Council holds significant unsupported and exceptional debt that cannot be managed locally in its entirety as a result of historic capital practices. The Government has committed to providing debt repayment support. Any support will need to consider value for money for the taxpayer and what can be done locally to reduce debt. We will continue to work with the Council and Commissioners and provide further details in due course.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83343 on Elections: Pilot Schemes, what his planned timetable is for announcing which local authority areas will be selected for election pilots in May 2026; how many will be selected; what the budget is for that programme; and how many bids were submitted by the deadline.

We are currently reviewing applications from local authorities wishing to pilot at the May 2026 elections and we will share further details in due course.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 81951 on Affordable Housing: Construction, whether grant funding will be provided under the Affordable Housing Programme for (a) unsold and (b) uncontracted homes provided under section 106 agreements.

The Social and Affordable Homes Programme will support the delivery of social and affordable housing additional to those that developers have committed to delivering through Section 106 agreements.