Written questions by Cleverly.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 104 of the MHCLG annual report and accounts 2024-25, published in July 2025, whether Homes England is now making use of the software licensing; and whether the £324,000 has been permanently lost.

Homes England entered into an agreement to acquire software licences for use on an investment project in early development during 2024/25. Due to delays in progressing the project, the Agency was unable to utilise the licences within that financial year, resulting in an unavoidable payment. The circumstances and financial implications are detailed in Homes England’s Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25.

Communities and Local Government, which trade unions in (a) his Department and (b) its executive agencies receive (i) facility time and (ii) diversity network time.

The Department recognises 3 Unions: PCS, Prospect & FDA. Our agencies each have their own recognised Trade Unions. Facility time is granted in line with Cabinet Office guidance. Requesting time for staff network activities is a separate provision to the facility time granted to recognised Unions. Requests for Diversity Network time are considered in accordance with Departmental policy.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2025 to Question 68123 on Business Premises: Rents, if he will place a copy of the research in the Library.

The government published a full Impact Assessment upon First Reading of the Bill on 10 July. The Impact Assessment provides a summary of the economic analysis and research the government relied upon to reach the decision.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the document entitled Licensing of houses in multiple occupation and selective licensing of other residential accommodation (England) General Approval 2024, published on 16 December 2024 on landlords.

The General Approval 2024 grants local authorities the ability to introduce selective licensing schemes of any size in their area, without requiring Secretary of State approval. No changes have been made to the legislative requirements for introducing and managing a selective licensing scheme. Local authorities must continue to meet the requirements under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004. We trust local authorities to assess local housing conditions and introduce a selective licensing scheme where there is a need to address local issues. No recent assessment has been undertaken on the impact of the selective licensing General Approval 2024.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to stop referring to lower socio-economic status in his Department’s publications.

There are currently no plans to set policy around terminology used in the Department’s publications.

Communities and Local Government, whether the use of a hotel as asylum hostel accommodation constitutes a material change of use.

Whether or not use of a hotel to accommodate asylum seekers would constitute a material change of use requiring planning permission will be a matter of fact and degree for the local planning authority to determine in the first instance, depending on the individual circumstances of each case.

Communities and Local Government, whether the British Muslim Trust will be contractually obliged to use the Government's new definition of Islamophobia when recording anti-Muslim hatred under Combating Hate Against Muslims fund; and if he will publish a copy of the contract.

The British Muslim Trust and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have signed a Grant Funding Agreement, rather than a contract. It is not a stipulation of the Grant Funding Agreement that any specific definition is used by the British Muslim Trust. The prospectus set out that to apply for funding an organisation must ‘be willing to record and monitor instances of anti-Muslim hate crime in such a way that is consistent with the government’s working definition of anti-Muslim hate or Islamophobia, should the government choose to adopt a definition in future’.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 September 2025 to Question 69674 on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group, if he will amend the terms of reference of the working group such that representations submitted by organisations which (a) are subject to the Government’s policy of non-engagement and (b) condone criminal activity should not be considered by the working group.

As per their Terms of Reference, the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group should work within HMG’s published engagement standards and will inform the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in writing of all external engagement prior to it taking place. The Working Group has engaged extensively to inform their independent advice to Ministers on a definition and have not met with any organisations subject to the Government’s policy of non-engagement. The Working Group launched a Call for Evidence to build on the extensive engagement they’ve already 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.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2025 to Question 68060 on Islamophobia, whether the Working Group has had a meeting with MCB; and whether they have received evidence from the MCB.

The Working Group is an independent, non-statutory body which will provide advice to ministers on a definition of anti-Muslim hatred/islamophobia. Ministers will consider the advice that the independent working group provides. The Working Group have engaged with a range of stakeholders and proposed definition by the independent Working Group should reflect a wide range of perspectives from different communities. The terms of reference set out that the Working Group should work within HMG’s published engagement standards. The Government has a non-engagement policy with the MCB and that position has not changed. The Group launched a Call for Evidence to build on the extensive engagement they’ve already undertaken. It was open to the public and any individual or organisation was able to submit evidence.

When he plans to reply to the correspondence from the Rt hon. Member for Braintree of 18 June 2025.

The Rt.hon Member’s correspondence has been transferred to the Department of Health and Social Care as the department responsible for the topic of enquiry.

Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of dwellings there are with extant planning permission that have not been started.

My Department does not collect data on the number of dwellings with extant planning permission that have not yet started construction.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the document entitled Secretary of State opinion on Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest (IROPI) to Portsmouth City Council, published on 14 August 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of that opinion on (a) economic development and (b) housebuilding in Portsmouth.

The Secretary of State ‘opinion’ on Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest (IROPI) to Portsmouth City Council can be found on gov.uk here. It sets out the Secretary of State’s consideration of IROPI together with full reasons in respect of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. Having issued this decision, it would not be appropriate to comment further.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 10 of her Department's publication entitled MHCLG annual report and accounts 2024 to 2025, published on 22 July 2025, what metrics are monitored by the Ministerial Delivery Dashboard.

MHCLG uses a wide range of metrics and data to monitor and track delivery progress on key departmental priorities as well as support policy development and decision-making. Metrics are drawn from sources such as national statistics from the ONS and government datasets on GOV.UK. Examples include figures on new housing starts and ONS data on permanent dwellings started; government statistics on homelessness and rough sleeping figures; expectational financial support (EFS) allocations issued to local authorities; and results from both the ‘Community Life’ and ‘Trust in Government’ surveys.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 95 of the MHCLG annual report and accounts 2024-25, published in July 2025, what the historic issue was to which additional budget cover was sought.

The department had identified a group of assets listed as ‘assets under construction’ where the descriptions and associated capitalisation dates indicated they may already have been in use in prior years. This meant the department may have needed to make a correction in its accounts for this missing historic depreciation. This would lead to an additional depreciation charge in the accounts. To be cautious, we agreed additional budget cover with HMT based on the highest possible cost this might involve. However, after further work was carried out, the actual impact was much smaller than expected. As a result, we did not need to use all the extra budget that had been approved.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 July 2025 to Question 69064 on Councillors' Interests, whether the requirement to declare sponsorship towards election expenses includes raising funds for expenses which will be incurred in forthcoming local government elections.

The response to Question UIN 69064 was clear that the guidance and law require councillors to be transparent in disclosing their pecuniary interests such as sponsorships, which includes financial benefits received towards their election expenses.

Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance (a) her Department and (b) Natural England has issued on whether a habitats regulation assessment screening is required for the exercise of 28 day camping allowed by permitted development rights.

Permitted development rights (PDRs) are subject to national conditions and limitations and therefore do not remove the need to comply with the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. HRAs require an evaluation of whether a plan or project, including those benefiting from PDR, is likely to adversely affect any habitat site designated under the Habitats Regulations and/or its qualifying feature(s), and for any harm to be mitigated before the plan or project proceeds (unless there are imperative reasons of overriding public interest, no alternatives and necessary compensation is secured). Guidance on the HRA process is available on Habitats regulations assessments: protecting a European site - GOV.UK, and via Planning Practice Guidance: When is permission required? - GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2025 to Question 44234 on Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners, what her planned timetable is for incorporating the policing powers of the Police and Crime Commissioners in (a) Suffolk and (b) Norfolk into the powers of the new combined authority mayor; and how this process will interact with the passage of (i) the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill and (ii) associated secondary legislation.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will provide a route to allow a single Mayor to be the Police and Crime Commissioner for two or more Police areas, provided that there are coterminous boundaries between the Strategic Authority and the Police areas when taken together. All future transfers of Police and Crime Commissioner functions will take place via powers in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill and will be subject to a confirmatory Statutory Instrument which will set out the date of transfer. In Suffolk and Norfolk, we expect the Strategic Authority to be set up and inaugural Mayoral elections to be held in 2026 with the transfer of Police and Crime Commissioner functions for the start of the financial year in 2027.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's statutory guidance entitled Flexible use of capital receipts: direction, updated on 26 March 2025, whether the sale of a local authority allotment would qualify under those rules as a capital receipt.

The government has not changed the rules with respect to disposing of allotments. There remain in place strict criteria to protect allotments, whereby councils must seek approval from the Secretary of state to dispose of a statutory allotment and only sell it where a defined legal threshold is met. From 2016, the previous government introduced a general flexibility that allows councils to use capital receipts to pay for transformation. We are clear that councils should only do this where it provides value for money and it is in the interests of residents. This flexibility does not override any statutory restrictions that may exist on certain types of assets including allotments.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 59 of the MHCLG annual report and accounts 2024-25, HC1062, published on 22 July 2025, what the business case was for the increase in the total cost of trade union facility time between 2023-24 and 2024-25; and whether Ministers authorised the increase.

Trade union representatives have a legal right to be given time off to undertake their duties. Facility time is granted in line with Cabinet Office guidance and remains within 1% of our overall paybill.

With reference to the press release entitled Red tape slashed to revamp high streets with new cafes and bars, published on 26 July 2025, who will decide (a) where the new dedicated hospitality zones will be introduced and (b) what their boundaries will be; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of these proposals on the (i) licensing hours and (ii) wider operation of (A) new and (B) existing (1) pubs, (2) clubs and (3) restaurants that are not in designated hospitality zones.

The Government wants to ensure we have a licensing system that not only addresses crime and protects communities but supports businesses and promotes growth. Councils already use designated zones to preserve hospitality, leisure, and cultural areas, and we are keen to work collaboratively to understand how these approaches are working and explore whether Councils have the tools they need to create and maintain designated zones effectively. Businesses within and outside designated zones will benefit from a more balanced licensing regime. We will issue a Call for Evidence to gather insights and inform policy discussions shortly.