Written questions by Cleverly.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 August 2025 to Question 68790 on MHCLG: Civil Servants, for what reason the London pay range is paid to civil servants in the Hemel Hempstead office.

The application of the MHCLG London pay scale to the Hemel Hempstead office relates to a historic decision and wider contractual pay agreement reached with Departmental Trade Unions.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2025 to Question 75449 on MHCLG: Standards, if he will list each metric presented on the Ministerial Delivery Dashboard.

MHCLG uses a range of metrics and data to monitor and track delivery progress on key departmental priorities, as well as support policy development and decision-making. The table below shows a list of the publicly available metrics included in the dashboard. PriorityMetricBuild 1.5m new homesNet additional homesBuild 1.5m new homesHousing startsBuild 1.5m new homesHomes granted planning permissionBuild 1.5m new homesNew affordable housing by type of tenureBuild 1.5m new homesNew affordable housing supply (gross) by regionBuild 1.5m new homesPermanent dwellings completed by providers (LA / Housing associations)Build 1.5m new homesPermanent dwellings started by providers (LA / Housing associations)Build 1.5m new homesRolling annual number of first-time buyers with a mortgageBuild 1.5m new homesHouse price to workplace-based earnings ratioBuild 1.5m new homesAnnual rental inflation - all rentsBuild 1.5m new homesNew lets (Zoopla)Building remediationCompletions as a percentage of buildings estimated to need worksBuilding remediationStarts on site as a percentage of buildings estimated to need worksBuilding remediationThe number of buildings identified as a percentage of buildings estimated to need worksHomelessness & rough sleepingNumber of families in temporary accommodationHomelessness & rough sleepingNumber of families in B&B accommodationHomelessness & rough sleepingTotal number of people sleeping rough (according to autumn snapshot)Homelessness & rough sleepingNumber of people who are sleeping rough over the course of the monthDevolutionDevolution depth and coverageLocal government financial stabilityPercentage of upper tier local authorities in 'high' and above risk categoriesLocal government financial stabilityNumber of local authorities receiving financial supportCommunity & cohesionPercentage of people agreeing that they can personally affect local decisionsCommunity & cohesionPercentage of people satisfied with their local area as a place to liveCommunity & cohesionPercentage of people agreeing that people in their immediate neighbourhood can be trustedCommunity & cohesionPercentage of people with each level of trust in general

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 September 2025 to Question 69673 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Remote Working, if he will list the expected level of attendance expectations at each of his Department's offices by (a) percentage and (b) location.

All Senior Civil Servants in the Department are expected to attend an office for 60% of the time, irrespective of which office they are based in. Staff at delegated grades are currently expected to attend for 50% of the time, with the exception of staff in the following offices who are currently expected to attend for 40% of the time due to capacity constraints; Darlington, Hemel Hempstead, Manchester, Sheffield and Wolverhampton. The ambition of the Department is for all staff to attend an office for 60% of the time in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to repeal the Parliamentary Elections Act 1695.

The majority of the Parliamentary Elections Act 1695 was repealed by the Representation of the People Act 1948. The one remaining section (section 7) related to the minimum age of candidacy for elections to the House of Commons and was repealed by the Electoral Administration Act 2006 when that Act reduced the minimum age of candidacy for elections to the House of Commons from 21 to 18 years.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of whether overseas electors in (a) Australia and (b) UAE can receive postal ballot papers posted from the United Kingdom in line with the legal deadlines for returning them.

The responsibility for arranging the timing and dispatch of postal votes sits with the Returning Officer for each electoral area. As such, it falls to them to assess the likelihood of an elector’s postal ballot pack being dispatched, returned and completed before the close of poll. The Electoral Commission advises Returning Officers to prioritise overseas postal ballot packs. Since 2016, the Government has supported Returning Officers by funding the use of the International Business Response Licence - which expedites the return of ballot packs from overseas, as well as covering any postage costs that might otherwise be incurred. The Electoral Commission also advises that, in cases where it may not be realistic for a postal ballot pack to be dispatched, completed and returned before the close of poll, the Electoral Registration Officer should make the elector aware of this and advise that they vote by proxy instead. The online absent vote application service includes similar advice for electors applying for a postal vote.

Communities and Local Government, under what circumstances would the HM Land Registry not publish title deeds on the gov.uk website following the purchase of a dwelling.

HM Land Registry does not publish title deeds on gov.uk. Instead, it maintains a register, which is the official and definitive record of land and property ownership in England and Wales. Once a property is registered, the register itself serves as proof of ownership. There is no requirement for title deeds to confirm ownership. An official copy of the register or title plan provides a true and legally recognised record of the property’s ownership and boundaries at a specific point in time. While a property is the process of being registered with HM Land Registry, it will not appear on the register until that registration has been completed. However, legal ownership rights are secured and protected from the moment the application is received by HM Land Registry, not at the point at which processing of the application is completed. Applicants can contact HM Land Registry to check on the progress of their application. Processing times for completing different application types can be found on GOV.UK. Under the Land Registration Act 2002, the register, title plan, and certain associated documents are publicly accessible to all. These can be obtained for a small fee via the ‘search for land and property information’ service on gov.uk which can be found here. It should be noted that not all documents submitted during the registration process are retained, and not all retained documents are available electronically. Access to documents is subject to the Land Registration Rules 2003. Some documents—such as identity documents—are classified as “excepted documents” and are not made available to the public.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's statistics entitled Housing supply: indicators of new supply, England: April to June 2025, published on 19 September 2025, what data Glenigan collects for his Department; and whether Glenigan provides figures on unbuilt-out planning permissions.

My Department obtains a range of planning-related data from Glenigan Ltd through a contract. Its estimates of the numbers of residential planning permissions granted are routinely published in its quarterly statistical releases. The data provided by Glenigan Ltd includes information on developments that have been granted permission but do not constitute robust estimates of the number of planning permissions that have not been built out.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 75188 on MHCLG: University of Cambridge, for what reason the salary of the Chief Scientific Adviser is recharged through Cambridge University.

The MHCLG Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA) is a Professor of Engineering at Cambridge University. MHCLG is recharged a proportionate amount to account for his role as CSA in the department.

Communities and Local Government, how much (a) capital and (b) revenue funding was allocated to the Affordable Housing Programme in each year since 2019-20.

My Department published an update on targets in respect of the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme on 30 July 2024. It can be found on gov.uk here. Delivery for the GLA on affordable housing can be found on their website here and Homes England set out their annual report and accounts for delivery outside of London here. My Department publishes our annual reports and accounts here.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 August 2025 to Question 68789 on Permitted Development Rights, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Article 4 directions on the volume of new dwellings from conversions.

No assessment of the impact in question has been made by my Department.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 72484 on Inheritance Tax: Valuation, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the free home care threshold on trends in the number of unoccupied homes.

My Department does not hold records on the impact of care costs on the number of vacant homes.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2025 to Question 74339 on Planning: Environment Protection, when he expects the Environmental Outcomes Reports framework to replace the environmental assessment systems.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 16 December 2024 (HCWS317), we will, in due course, replace the current EU derived systems of Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment with Environmental Outcomes Reports (EORs). These will be a more effective and outcome-focused tool for managing the effects of development on the natural environment. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 contains a number of duties to consult on the core elements of the new EOR system, including the setting of outcomes and repealing existing legislation. The government will consult on draft regulations in due course following policy development and engagement with key stakeholders. Until a new system is implemented, current legislation on environmental assessment and its supporting guidance continues to apply.

Whether the provisions in the Public Office (Accountability) Bill will apply to (a) town and (b) parish councillors.

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill reforms abolish the common law offence of misconduct in public office and introduce two new offences: seriously improper acts and breach of duty to prevent death or serious injury. These new offences apply to elected officials, including town and parish councillors.

How much funding his Department provided to Kent County Council for public health activities in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26; and whether the Council is required to use those funds to promote child vaccinations.

The Department of Health and Social Care allocated public health funding to Kent County Council of £86.6 million in 2024/25 and £91.3 million in 2025/26, which consists of:Total DHSC Public Health Funding to Kent County Council, £2024/252025/26Public Health Grant77,308,93582,039,842Drugs and Alcohol Treatment and recovering funding15,570,7255,584,314Start for Life Grant1,755,0001,799,600Stop Smoking Services1,944,8231,891,779Total86,579,48391,315,535[1] Includes contributions from the Department for Work and Pensions for individual placement and support funding and from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for rough sleeping drug and alcohol treatment funding which are transferred to the Department of Health and Social Care, and paid out via Department of Health and Social Care grants.Core funding for local authorities’ public health responsibilities is provided through the Public Health Grant. Local authorities are responsible for deciding how best to use this funding in support of their public health responsibilities. There is no specific requirement for them to use it to support access to National Health Service childhood immunisations, but local authority funded services may play an active role in promoting uptake of childhood vaccinations – for example through local authority-commissioned health visiting services that may advise parents on childhood vaccinations.

Communities and Local Government, how much (a) revenue and (b) capital funding has been allocated to the Local Regeneration Fund in each year of the Spending Review period; and whether any of this funding has been repurposed from cancelled schemes.

The Local Regeneration Fund is a consolidation of existing local growth capital funds (Levelling Up Fund, Town Deals, and the Pathfinder Pilot). No schemes were cancelled. Local Authorities in receipt of Local Regeneration Fund were paid £1,330m Capital and £9.4m Revenue in September 2025 for financial year 2025/26. Departmental internal business planning processes for future years are still ongoing, therefore we cannot yet confirm specific allocations for the LRF at this time as allocations are provisional.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce planning restrictions on the opening of (a) betting shops, (b) vaping shops and (c) Turkish barbers.

My Department currently has no plans to introduce such restrictions. An application for planning permission will always be required for an additional betting office. In the Pride in Place Strategy, we committed to introduce Cumulative Impact Assessments in gambling licensing, which will allow councils to take data-driven decisions on premises licences, particularly in areas that have been identified as being vulnerable to gambling-related harm. Furthermore, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will provide powers for ministers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to introduce a licensing scheme for the retail sale of tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 August 2025 to Question 68791 on MHCLG: English Language, if he will make an assessment of whether publications issued by his Department use (a) clear and (b) understandable language.

While there is no legal requirement for government documents to be published in plain English, the department always asks teams to use clear, understandable language in its publications.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2025 to Question 74221 on Business Rates: Tax Allowance, whether any central government body is responsible for monitoring rate relief fraud across local authorities.

Business Rates are a local tax and local authorities are responsible for decisions on the awarding of relief, ensuring compliance, and tackling fraud. The Government also provides local authorities with data-matching services to help detect fraud and errors in business rates by comparing different datasets, through the Cabinet Office’s National Fraud Initiative (NFI).

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the level of English language proficiency by women from an ethnic minority background; and whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the potential impact of the level of English language proficiency by women from an ethnic minority background on barriers to their employment.

Data on English language proficiency falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. The Census 2021 provides datasets detailing population and proficiency in English. These datasets can be downloaded from nomis. Nomis is a service run on behalf of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) by the University of Durham publishing statistics related to population, society and the labour market at national, regional and local levels, including data from current and previous censuses. Data is freely available. Alternatively, you can obtain census data from the ONS. The department is supporting cross-government work to invest in ongoing integration support, including English language training, employment programmes, and social integration initiatives, to ensure that people can fully participate in society well beyond their initial arrival. For example, the department provided £11.5 million of funding for English language courses and employment support for up to 12,500 Ukrainians across the UK through the ‘STEP Ukraine’ programme. We have now launched a follow-up ‘STEP’ programme of £4.2m (excl. VAT) for English language courses and employment support for Ukrainians and Hong Kong British Nationals. The aim is for the programme to reach 4,000 participants.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to Answer of 19 September 2025 to Question 75610 on Anti-muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group, whether the working group (a) received and (b) accepted responses from extremist organisations.

The Working Group launched a Call for Evidence to build on the extensive engagement they had undertaken. The Call for Evidence closed on Sunday 20 July. It was open to the public and any individual or organisation was able to submit evidence. The Working Group did not engage with any organisations that are subject to the Government’s non-engagement policy.