Written questions by Cleverly.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2026, to Question 104170, on Local Government: Reorganisation, and pursuant to the answer by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage of 26 January 2026, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 715, if he will define what is meant by the "most ambitious timelines"; and whether some of the new unitary councils will be elected at a later date than May 2027.

The Government remains committed to the indicative timetable published in July, with elections to new councils in May 2027. This is with the exception of Surrey, where we have already announced two new councils with elections expected in May 2026.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Home Office oral statement on 20 January 2026, on the Chinese Embassy, whether the unredacted plans for the Embassy were subject to scrutiny by the planning inspector.

Full reasons for the decision in question are set out in the Secretary of State’s decision letter which can be found on gov.uk here. The letter and associated Inspector’s Report must be read in their entirety. Planning conditions are addressed at paragraphs 107-110 and are listed at Annex B of the decision letter. Application drawings are addressed at paragraphs 89-99. As part of his careful consideration of the applications, the Secretary of State referred back to parties on a number of matters, including the redacted drawings, on 6 August 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether the National Protective Security Authority provided advice on the planning process on the Chinese Embassy.

Full reasons for the decision in question are set out in the Secretary of State’s decision letter which can be found on gov.uk here. The letter and associated Inspector’s Report must be read in their entirety. Planning conditions are addressed at paragraphs 107-110 and are listed at Annex B of the decision letter. Application drawings are addressed at paragraphs 89-99. As part of his careful consideration of the applications, the Secretary of State referred back to parties on a number of matters, including the redacted drawings, on 6 August 2025.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2026 to Question 103895 on Local Government: Working Hours, whether he plans to take Best Value intervention action against local authorities implementing four day weeks.

The letter of 19 December 2025 is clear that the provision in the current Best Value Guidance in relation to the four-day week remains in force. Ministers take a range of factors into account when considering whether to exercise statutory powers in relation to a local authority and will only act where necessary to secure compliance with the Best Value duty.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Intelligence and Security Committee press notice of 20 January 2026, what steps his Department is taking to improve clarity on the role that national security considerations play in planning decisions.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that planning policies and decisions should promote public safety and take into account wider security and defence requirements by anticipating and addressing possible malicious threats. Proposals for major development in such locations should be informed by the most up-to-date information available from the police and other relevant agencies about the nature of potential threats and their implications. The government is consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, more rules-based policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation includes policies on public safety and security. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the correspondence entitled Public Letter on Called-in decision: Royal Mint Court, of 20 January 2026, whether the mitigation measures are reflected in planning conditions.

Full reasons for the decision in question are set out in the Secretary of State’s decision letter which can be found on gov.uk here. The letter and associated Inspector’s Report must be read in their entirety. Planning conditions are addressed at paragraphs 107-110 and are listed at Annex B of the decision letter. Application drawings are addressed at paragraphs 89-99. As part of his careful consideration of the applications, the Secretary of State referred back to parties on a number of matters, including the redacted drawings, on 6 August 2025.

Whether her Department has a policy on targeting levels of house price inflation.

The government does not set a target for house price inflation. The UK has a 2% inflation target, measured by the 12 month increase in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). CPI is a broad measure of consumer prices based on a representative basket of goods and services. The independent Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England is responsible for setting monetary policy to meet this target in line with international best practice.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2026 to Question 109623 on Local Government Finance: City of Westminster and Wandsworth, what the assumed increases in Band D council tax are for the other four councils with no referendum principles.

The government believes it is right to continue to calculate Core Spending Power in line with the approach used at previous Settlements. This includes an assumption that authorities increase their Band D council tax by the maximum allowed within any council tax referendum principles set for them.To increase fairness for taxpayers, provide better value for money and enable the rebalancing of disparities in council tax levels, the government intends not to set referendum principles in 2027-28 and 2028-29 for six upper-tier authorities with the lowest council tax levels receiving 95% income protection. 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.To calculate their Core Spending Power, we assume City of Westminster, Wandsworth, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, City of London, and Windsor and Maidenhead increase their council tax by 5% in 2026-27. We also assume they will increase their council tax by 5% plus £150 in 2027-28 and 2028-29, which is closer to the average council tax increase across the country.The actual level of council tax remains a local decision for individual councils, taking into consideration a range of local factors including the impact on taxpayers.

What each (a) value significant and (b) dwellinghouse code used by the Valuation Office Agency for council tax valuations is in (1) England and (2) Wales; and whether any other codes are used.

For Council Tax valuations, the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) uses ‘Value Significant Codes’ to indicate specific features that are likely to affect the value of a property. Dwelling house codes allow the VOA to classify dwellings by their architectural style, characteristics and physical property type. They are made up of two parts: ‘Group’ and ‘Type’. The property data the VOA records is set out here: Property attribute data (PAD) - GOV.UK

Pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2026 to Question 105226 on Small Businesses: Business Rates, whether the relevant Transitional Relief percentage cap under Supporting Small Business Relief scheme applies to small firms which due to higher Rateable Values (a) will no longer be eligible for 100% small business rate relief but which retain a tapered amount of small business rate relief, (b) see a reduction in the tapered amount of small business rate relief but still receive some tapered relief and (c) lose all tapered rate relief.

The 2026 supporting small business (SSB) scheme will support businesses who lose some or all of their small business rates relief, rural rates relief, or retail, hospitality and leisure relief in April. SSB will therefore apply in scenarios (a), (b) and (c).

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2026 to Question 109623 on Local Government Finance: City of Westminster and Wandsworth, what methodology his Department used to estimate the average increase in council tax; and whether his Department held discussions with councils on this methodology.

The government believes it is right to continue to calculate Core Spending Power in line with the approach used at previous Settlements. This includes an assumption that authorities increase their Band D council tax by the maximum allowed within any council tax referendum principles set for them.To increase fairness for taxpayers, provide better value for money and enable the rebalancing of disparities in council tax levels, the government intends not to set referendum principles in 2027-28 and 2028-29 for six upper-tier authorities with the lowest council tax levels receiving 95% income protection. 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.To calculate their Core Spending Power, we assume City of Westminster, Wandsworth, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, City of London, and Windsor and Maidenhead increase their council tax by 5% in 2026-27. We also assume they will increase their council tax by 5% plus £150 in 2027-28 and 2028-29, which is closer to the average council tax increase across the country.The actual level of council tax remains a local decision for individual councils, taking into consideration a range of local factors including the impact on taxpayers.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of giving overseas electors the option to register to vote when they renew their British passport online.

The Government is committed to improving electoral registration and is actively exploring ways to do so. The Representation of the People Bill will lay the foundations for a more automated registration system. Any changes must be tested to ensure they have a positive outcome in an already complex system.

Communities and Local Government, whether (a) hon. Members, (b) councillors and (c) political parties will have access to the full electoral register with attainers aged below 16.

Under the current UK electoral framework, political parties, elected officials and candidates are entitled to request copies of the electoral register and may use them for “electoral purposes” and for the purposes of complying with rules regarding political donations, and office holders for purposes related to their office.With regard to individuals standing for an election having access to the full register, once the provisions set out in the Representation of the People Bill come into effect, no candidates will have access to the data of 14- and 15-year-olds, unless the individual turns 16 by the polling date for that specific election. This is provided for because it is important that 15-year-olds who will turn 16 on or before polling day - and will therefore be eligible to vote - have the same opportunity to be canvassed so they can form an opinion in the same way as any other eligible voter.The Government takes the safeguarding of young people and their data seriously, with strict controls set out in legislation on who can access information from the electoral register and for what purpose. The approach set out in the Representation of the People Bill balances the need for proportionate safeguards within our electoral system, without disadvantaging young voters from being able to participate in it.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2026, to Question 104668, on council tax, if he will publish a table listing the notional Band D level for each local authority in England in 2025-26, based on the methodology outlined in that answers of 66201 and 104668.

The notional council tax level for each authority in England is published on gov.uk here.

For what reason some hereditaments in the 2026 Draft Rating List do not have an Unique Address Reference Number listed in their entry.

There are no properties listed in the 2026 Draft Rating List download that do not have an Unique Address Reference Number assigned to them.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2026, to Question 102811, on Planning Permission, whether any other guidance has been given on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in the planning system.

Neither the government nor the Planning Inspectorate has issued guidance in respect of the treatment of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in the planning system.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the correspondence entitled Public Letter on Called-in decision: Royal Mint Court, of 20 January 2026, whether the evidence provided to the Intelligence and Security Committee was given to (a) the planning inspector and (b) him.

Full reasons for the decision in question are set out in the Secretary of State’s decision letter which can be found on gov.uk here. The letter and associated Inspector’s Report must be read in their entirety. Planning conditions are addressed at paragraphs 107-110 and are listed at Annex B of the decision letter. Application drawings are addressed at paragraphs 89-99. As part of his careful consideration of the applications, the Secretary of State referred back to parties on a number of matters, including the redacted drawings, on 6 August 2025.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2026 to Question 108645 on Business Rates, what the aggregate (a) monetary and (b) percentage change in business rate receipts is in (i) each local authority in England and (ii) England from 2025-26 to 2026-27.

The latest available data on business rates receipts relates to 2024-25. Data for England and each local authority can be found at the following link https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/collection-rates-for-council-tax-and-non-domestic-rates-in-england-2024-to-2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department holds information on business rate receipts from (a) Business Rate Improvement Districts levies and (b) the GLA Business Rate Supplement across (i) England and (ii) individual local authorities.

Information on receipts from the GLA Business Rate Supplement is collected and published on Revenue Outturn RS Line 793. The latest local authority and England level data from 2024 to 2025 can be found here.The Department does not hold data on Business Improvement District (BID) levy receipts.The cost of administering BID ballots are recorded on Revenue Outturn RO6 Line 428 also published here.

Communities and Local Government, what planning guidance has been given to local authorities on land which is contaminated due to former foot and mouth burial pits.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that planning policies and decisions should ensure that a development site is suitable for its proposed use, taking account of risks arising from land contamination. This includes risks arising from natural hazards or former activities, and any proposals for mitigation including land remediation. After remediation, as a minimum, development should not be capable of being determined as contaminated land under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 which provides a risk-based approach to the identification and remediation of land where contamination poses an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment. Planning Practice Guidance, available on gov.uk here, sets out further information on how planning can deal with land affected by contamination.