Written questions by Cleverly.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2025 to Question 84634 on Personal Care Services: Fraud, on what statutory basis Companies House undertakes enhanced check; and how many fake barber shops have been identified.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 provided Companies House with enhanced powers to query, reject and share information proactively with law enforcement partners. These powers support the promotion of statutory objectives to ensure that required information is delivered, is accurate, is complete, is not false or misleading. Companies House aims to prevent companies and others from carrying out or facilitating unlawful activities.The National Crime Agency’s National Economic Crime Centre supported action in October 2025 visited 2734 business. 376 were barbershops. 251 other businesses visited were designated as ‘beauty related businesses’ which may include barbershop type services.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2025 to Question 86050 on Public Sector Fraud Authority: Local Government, what his planned timetable is for the data matching pilot.

The National Fraud Initiative (NFI), as part of the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA), works closely with local authorities to help them identify and prevent fraud. The NFI is currently collaborating with local authorities to understand the fraud risks related to council tax second home premiums. This insight will inform options to detect and prevent fraud in this area, including the potential for a data matching pilot. This research will also be used to determine the fraud risk and the effectiveness of a data share. If it is concluded that a data share would effectively target the risks, a planned timetable will be agreed to deliver the data matching pilot.

Whether her Department plans to allow councillors to submit their expenses in the Making Tax Digital scheme.

Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax will be introduced from April 2026 for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000. Qualifying income is the total income from self-employment and property, assessed before expenses. Local Authority councillors are office holders rather than sole traders. Their income and allowances do not count towards qualifying income for the purposes of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. Where a councillor has additional qualifying income from self-employment or property, they will need to comply where that income exceeds the MTD thresholds. If a councillor is required to use MTD, and where expenses are claimed through a return, the councillor would make that claim as part of the end-of-year tax return through their MTD software.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the value for money of the Greater Manchester Housing Investment Loans Fund.

An independent evaluation of the Housing Investment Fund commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority concluded that it delivers good value for money.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to publish revised land value estimates, updated in August 2020; and whether his Department has had recent discussions with the Valuation Office Agency on this issue.

The government is developing updated land value estimates for use in policy appraisal and has commissioned work from the Valuation Office Agency to that end. Our aim is to publish updated values for a range of land uses within the next 12 months.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60481 on Disability: Candidates, how much funding has been allocated to support the Access to Elected Office programme during the Spending Review period.

It is this government’s ambition to see more disabled people in public office. We have been clear that we will champion disabled people’s rights and work closely with them so that disabled people’s views and voices are at the heart of decision-making. The new fund is currently in development and the funding allocation is subject to the current Spending Review process. More information about the fund will be announced in due course.

What his policy is on local (a) consent and (b) support for radioactive storage facilities.

The UK Government’s policy states that nuclear operators’ proposed programmes and plans for the management and disposal of radioactive waste should be developed by including wide stakeholder engagement. This should include local authorities and communities which may be impacted by the plans, including any host community in the vicinity of a waste treatment, storage or disposal facility. In addition, the UK Government’s policy to deliver a geological disposal facility (GDF) for our most hazardous radioactive waste requires the explicit consent of the potential host community through a Test of Public Support.

What assessment he has made of trends in the (a) level of use and (b) frequency of visits to food banks in the last 12 months.

Statistics on the level of food bank use in the UK are published annually in the Households Below Average Income statistics report. The most recent publication is available here: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK We are committed to tackling poverty and reducing reliance on emergency food parcels. To inform this work, DWP officials have engaged with a range of organisations to better understand the complex food support landscape. To further support households in immediate need, we have extended the Household Support Fund in England with £742 million until 31 March 2026, enabling local authorities to continue to provide vulnerable households with immediate crisis support towards the cost of essentials, such as energy, water and food. Starting from 1 April 2026, we have announced a further £842 million a year to reform crisis support with the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, supporting our wider mission to reduce child poverty by reducing dependence on food parcels, preventing homelessness and making sure people can access urgent support when they need it.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2025 to Question 86644 on Deputy Prime Minister: Admiralty House, whether the initial council tax bill issued to HM Government in March 2025 included a second homes council tax premium.

The Second Homes Premium was introduced by Westminster City Council on the 1st April 2025. This was billed by the council in July 2025 as a one-off payment for the financial year and paid on the same day.

For what reason air to air reversible heat pumps do not qualify for the (a) Clean Heat Market Mechanism and (b) Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

The Clean Heat Market Mechanism is focused on developing the market and supply chain for upgrading homes with hydronic heat pumps – a core technology for the UK’s transition to cleaner heating since around 90% of UK homes have water-based central heating systems. The Government will keep the scope of the scheme under regular review. The Government has published a response to the consultation on proposed Boiler Upgrade Scheme changes, confirming grants of £2,500 for air-to-air heat pumps in domestic properties, starting in 2026. This will increase consumer choice and support the UK’s transition towards low carbon heating systems.

What assessment he has made of (a) trends in the level of (i) delays and (ii) backlogs in the Planning Court and (b) the implications for his policies of the time taken to enforce a temporary stop notice.

Temporary Stop Notice (TSN) is a planning enforcement tool available to local planning authorities to halt breaches of planning control on a temporary basis while they consider whether more substantive enforcement action is required.While the initial stages of Planning Court proceedings are generally within expected timeframes, delays persist at later stages, and substantive hearings continue to experience backlogs. The number of live cases has gradually increased over the past year.The time taken to enforce a temporary stop notice has implications for the effectiveness of planning enforcement policy. These notices are intended to provide swift intervention to prevent unauthorised development, but delays in judicial processes can weaken their deterrent effect and undermine confidence in the planning system. Prolonged enforcement proceedings may increase costs for local authorities and frustrate wider policy objectives on development control.The Government is working with HM Courts & Tribunals Service and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure enforcement tools remain robust and planning policy continues to operate effectively.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 75606 on Community Development: English Language, what estimate he has made of the cost of providing English language support in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.

The following table shows the cost of providing English language interpretation and translation services for the 2024/25 financial year and the 2025/26 financial year to date:Financial yearAmount2024/25£9,8342025/26£28,619

With reference to the press release entitled £10 million boost to protect Muslim communities, published on 23 October 2025, over how many financial years the funding will be allocated; and whether it will be subject to a bidding mechanism.

In 2025/26, £29.4 million is available through the Protective Security for Mosques scheme and for security at Muslim faith schools. In addition, up to £10 million of emergency funding has been made available for Muslim communities to further strengthen security measures at their places of worship and other community sites.This additional funding is available for financial year 2025/26 only.Mosques and associated Muslim community centres where regular worship takes place are eligible to apply for the scheme through the application form on gov.uk. The Protective Security for Mosques Scheme provides protective security measures such as security personnel services, CCTV, intruder alarms and secure perimeter fencing.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will list each date on which (a) Ministers and (b) Officials have had a meeting with Greenpeace since 4 July 2024.

Ministers have met with Greenpeace and discussions continue at an official level.

What estimate has the Office for National Statistics made of the (a) cash terms and (b) percentage terms increase in private rent prices since July 2024 in (i) each local authority and (ii) England.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Rt. Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 11th November is attached.

If she will publish a list of the training videos produced by the Valuation Office Agency.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) produces a range of videos for publication on its YouTube channel, including information about working at the VOA, and guidance and information videos on Council Tax and Business Rates. Please see: www.youtube.com/@VOAgovuk.

Pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2025, to Question 86766, on Admiralty House: Council Tax, on what council tax (a) discounts, (b) premiums, (c) exemptions and (d) disregards, were applied to the Government’s council tax bill for the occupied Ministerial residence in Admiralty House (i) between November 2024 and March 2025 for the year 2024-25 and (ii) in March/April 2025, for the year 2025-26, according to records held by the Government Property Agency.

The second homes premium was applied to the council tax bill for the former Deputy Prime Minister’s residence at Admiralty House for 2025-2026. No other premiums, discounts, exemptions, or disregards were applied.

With reference to the Valuation Office Agency: July 2025 transparency data, published on 31 August, what the contracted out services to Eunoia Consulting Ltd costing £83,705.52 are.

I refer the rt hon Member to the response to UIN 66194.

If she will publish the Valuation Office Agency’s training manual for the Automated Valuation Model.

Details on the Valuation Office Agency’s (VOA) Automated Valuation Model (AVM) including its development, testing and data are published here: More_information_on_mass_appraisal_and_AVM.pdfModel_specification_document.pdf

Communities and Local Government, whether councillors who sign up to the Local Government Pension Scheme will have it listed in the annual statement of payments to councillors.

Currently, the Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 does not require local authorities to publish information relating to pension payments in the annual statement of payments to councillors. A consultation was launched on 13 October on providing access to the Local Government Pension Scheme to mayors and councillors and remains open until 22 December.