Written questions by Cleverly.

What the annual interest rate on the deferral of the high value council tax surcharge will be.

The Government will consult on options for support for those who may struggle to pay the High Value Council Tax Surcharge early in 2026.

What will each of the new four council tax surcharge bands be called.

The bands are numbered 1-4, as set out below:BandsThreshold (£m)Rate (£)1£2.0-£2.5£2,5002£2.5-£3.5£3,5003£3.5-5.0£5,0004£5+£7,500

What number and proportion of housebuilding in the most recent year for which ONS holds figures was built in each constituent nation of the United Kingdom.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Rt. Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of the 28th November is attached.

Whether local authorities will be able claim back VAT on private hire journeys for their SEND transport.

Local authorities have a duty to provide free transport from home to school for SEND pupils, in certain circumstances. This is a non-business activity for VAT and where a local authority purchases the services of private hire companies in order to fulfil their statutory obligations, the VAT can be recovered under the section 33 refund scheme for local authorities.However, if a VAT-registered local authority is charging for transport services, and VAT is due on the fee, that is a taxable business activity. In these circumstances, the local authority can reclaim the VAT on its costs as input tax, under the normal rules.Guidance on when a local authority’s activities are regarded as non-business for VAT purposes is covered in section 2 of VAT Notice 749, which is available on GOV.UK. Section 4 of the Notice provides guidance on the section 33 refund scheme.

What estimate the Valuation Office Agency has made of the number of hereditaments that will pay the high-value multiplier by (a) sector type and (b) Special Category Code in 2026-27 based on the new Rating List.

Statistics by sector type and special category code (Scat) as a result of the 2026 Revaluation and publication of the draft 2026 Rating List are published here: Change in rateable value of rating lists, 2026 Revaluation (CSV) The government has also, on Budget Day, published information on the effects of the business rates retail, hospitality and leisure multipliers, and the high value multiplier. A rise in rateable value (RV) may not result in a similar rise in bills. Local councils calculate business rates bills by taking the rateable value and multiplying this by a value known as a multiplier and then applying any reliefs. Confirmation of the Budget package and the Non-Domestic Rating Multipliers for 2026/2027 is also published on gov.uk.

Further to the publication of the draft Rating List of 26 November 2025, if he will publish the changes in average Rateable Values for each Special Category Code, compared to the previous Rating List, according to information held by the Valuation Office Agency.

Statistics on changes in the rateable value of non-domestic properties as a result of the 2026 Revaluation and publication of the draft 2026 Rating List are published here: Change in rateable value of rating lists, 2026 Revaluation

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the new council tax surcharge bands on property prices at the thresholds of each band.

Various factors affect the sale price of residential properties. In its recent Economic and Fiscal outlook, the independent Office for Budget Responsibility forecast that house prices will rise every year, growing by ‘just under 3 per cent in 2025 and average 2 ½ percent annual growth from 2026’. The policy costing for the surcharge assumes an average price impact on affected properties of 2.5% with greater effects around the band thresholds.

Pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2025, to Question 89453, on Deputy Prime Minister: Admiralty House, what was the monetary value of the council tax bill issued to the Government by Westminster City Council in March 2025 for payment from 1 April 2025.

Admiralty House sits within Council Tax Band H and details of the bands, current Council Tax charges, additional premiums and published notices about Council Tax can be found at the following page: https://www.westminster.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-band-and-charges

What the average time is for an application to enforce a Temporary Stop Notice to be heard in the Planning Court.

The information requested is not held centrally, we do not hold data on the average time for an application to enforce a Temporary Stop Notice to be heard in the Planning Court.

Whether the high value council tax surcharge will be payable by Ministers in official Ministerial residences which are (a) occupied as a primary residence and (b) occupied as a secondary residence.

I refer the Hon Member to PQ 95176.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2025 to Question 87323 on Affordable Housing: Expenditure, how much funding was allocated to the Affordable Housing Programmes in (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 across his Department, Homes England, the Greater London Authority, local councils, housing associations and combined authorities.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 73795 on 15 September 2025.On 5 November, Homes England published an updated summary of their total allocations from the Affordable Homes Programme for 2021 to 2026 (AHP 2021 to 2026). It can be found on gov.uk here.

Whether the valuation of the high value council tax surcharge will be undertaken through the use of the Valuation Office Agency’s Automated Valuation Model; and what is the frequency by which the valuations will be revalued.

The Valuation Office Agency are developing their approach to the targeted revaluation and will set out more details in due course, following the outcome of the Government's consultation.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the written statement of 20 November 2025, on Multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement and Fair Funding Review, of 20 November 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of higher council tax referendum thresholds on council tax receipts over the Spending Review period.

It is for individual councils to set their own level of council tax. The government intends to maintain a core 3% referendum principle and a 2% adult social care precept and will consult on this at the provisional local government finance settlement. The final set of referendum principles will be subject the approval of the House of Commons, in the usual way. Estimates of council tax that may be raised will be published at the provisional local government finance settlement.

Whether the charging of (a) second homes and (b) empty homes council tax premiums on a dwelling will affect the calculation of the high value council tax surcharge liability.

The second homes and empty homes premiums will not affect the calculation of the High Value Council Tax Surcharge liability.

Communities and Local Government, if he will re-issue Best Value intervention notices against councils operating four day working weeks on full pay.

This Government is committed to working in partnership with local authorities and will not micromanage their day-today running. However, the Government does not support the use of part-time work for full-time pay by local authorities.Best value notices may be considered and issued by the Government where it is deemed necessary to seek further assurance that a local authority is complying with the best value duty and taking steps to secure continuous improvement.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the written statement of 23 October 2025, HCWS991, on Housing Delivery, and pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2025 to Question HL9484 on Green Belt: Greater London, whether the Greater London Authority's designation of Metropolitan Open Land now has a status, and is recognised, in national planning policy and planning practice guidance.

Metropolitan Open Land is a local designation used by the Mayor of London in the London Plan. Policy relating to the designation is entirely a matter for the Mayor and is not set out within the National Planning Policy Framework or Planning Practice Guidance. Planning law requires that applications for planning permission be determined in accordance with the relevant development plan (which includes the London Plan) unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2025, to Question 88665, on Local Government Pension Scheme: Councillors, if he will make it his policy to amend secondary legislation to ensure that local residents are informed of any pension payments in the annual statement of payments to councillors.

The government believes transparency in local government is the foundation of local accountability, and this extends to councillors. The consultation on pensions for mayors and councillors is still open and so no final decisions have been taken, but I will consider the Rt Hon. Member’s suggestion.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 24 July 2025 to Question 68405 on Housing: Construction, whether he is on course to meet the 374,000 net additions per year target by 2027.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 55284 on 10 June 2025.

Whether transitional relief will apply to the application of the high-value business rate multiplier in 2026-27.

At Budget 2025, the Government announced updated property values independently assessed by the Valuation Office. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values (RVs) of properties are updated in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. Following growth in the tax base, all ratepayers will pay a lower tax rate than they do now.Revenue raised from business rates is forecast to increase for a number of reasons. The tax rates change with inflation to maintain income for local authorities in real terms; the size of the tax base is forecast to increase; and temporary reliefs taper away. The Government is spending £4.3bn over the next three years on a support package, including protection for those seeing bills increase.This includes a re-designed Transitional Relief (TR) scheme, to protect businesses from large bill increases as a result of the revaluation. This is worth £3.2 billion over the next three years and, compared to the 2023 TR scheme, provides more generous support for those paying higher tax rates (including the high-value multiplier).To reduce the Exchequer cost the Government is introducing a 1p supplement in 2026/27 only, paid by ratepayers who do not receive TR or the Supporting Small Business scheme.

Whether the 2026 business rates revaluation is revenue neutral (i) in the first year, or (ii) over the valuation cycle.

At Budget 2025, the Government announced updated property values independently assessed by the Valuation Office. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values (RVs) of properties are updated in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. Following growth in the tax base, all ratepayers will pay a lower tax rate than they do now.Revenue raised from business rates is forecast to increase for a number of reasons. The tax rates change with inflation to maintain income for local authorities in real terms; the size of the tax base is forecast to increase; and temporary reliefs taper away. The Government is spending £4.3bn over the next three years on a support package, including protection for those seeing bills increase.This includes a re-designed Transitional Relief (TR) scheme, to protect businesses from large bill increases as a result of the revaluation. This is worth £3.2 billion over the next three years and, compared to the 2023 TR scheme, provides more generous support for those paying higher tax rates (including the high-value multiplier).To reduce the Exchequer cost the Government is introducing a 1p supplement in 2026/27 only, paid by ratepayers who do not receive TR or the Supporting Small Business scheme.