Written questions by Hollinrake.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has received representations from London Councils on the shortfall in compensatory funding to London boroughs for the increase in employer National Insurance contributions.

The department actively encouraged representations from stakeholder bodies, including London Councils, as part of the provisional 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement consultation in December last year. The department has continued to engage with stakeholder bodies on issues related to the 2025–26 Local Government Finance Settlement, including on the rise in employer National Insurance contributions following the government’s decision to provide £515 million in support for the increased costs faced by local authorities in England.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, April 2025, published on 30 May 2025, if she will publish the research commissioned from the Centre for Homelessness.

The Centre for Homelessness were commissioned to undertake a programme of ‘Test and Learn’ trials and a systems-wide evaluation of homelessness and rough sleeping.The principles guiding the government’s publication and release of social research can be found on gov.uk here. An interim report was published in February this year, available on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, what role the Government plays in the setting of municipal parking fines for (a) off-street and (b) on-street parking in England outside London.

Local authorities are empowered by law to decide on appropriate parking arrangements, within the legal framework provided by the Traffic Management Act 2004 (TMA). In England (excluding Greater London), penalty charges are set by enforcement authorities under the TMA. They must accord with guidelines set by the Secretary of State for Transport in schedule 3 of the Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Approved Devices, Charging Guidelines and General Provisions) (England) Regulations 2022. Guidelines on Levels of Charges set out in the 2022 Regulations provide two different penalty bands for Local Authorities to choose from, and requires Local Authorities under each band to issue penalties at different rates depending on the seriousness of the contravention. These are: Band 1 (£60 for higher contraventions and £40 for lower contraventions) and Band 2 (£70 for higher contraventions and £50 for lower contraventions).

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 May 2025 to Question 52812 on Affordable Housing, what her definition of a generation is.

In line with common usage, a generation is taken to mean around 25 years.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 28 May 2025 to Question 52712 on Local Government: Elections, whether the proposed abolition of a council would meet the criteria.

If the Secretary of State decides to implement a council’s proposal for unitary local government, secondary legislation, which will be subject to Parliamentary approval, will be required to abolish existing councils, establish new structures and make transitional arrangements. Those transitional arrangements, consistent with precedent, would include replacing scheduled local elections with elections for the new councils. Those councils will operate initially as new unitary authorities, before going live the following April.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 May 2025 to Question 51874 on Planning Permissions: Impact Assessment, if she will publish the equality impact assessment produced for each of the changes listed.

There is no legal duty to publish equality impact assessments. The impact assessments relating to revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework on 12 December 2024 can be found here. The Secretary of State complied with her public sector equality duty (PSED) under s149 of the Equality Act 2010 in issuing the planning practice guidance updates.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the her Department's publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, what the goods or services commissioned from Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners Ltd entitled Consultancy were.

Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners Ltd is providing technical planning advice relating to a small number of planning decisions to be taken by the Department.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 97 of the National Planning Policy Framework, published on 7 February 2025, what criteria are used to designate a town centre.

Town centres are defined in the National Planning Policy Framework Annex 2: Glossary.

Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to support the freedom to pray.

Freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right, and one which underpins many of the others.  Any individual or group is free to express and practice religion, views and beliefs, but they have a duty to behave responsibly and to respect other people’s rights.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued to local planning authorities on ensuring (a) Section 106 and (b) Community Infrastructure Levy revenues are spent; and what requirements they have to publish details of (i) received revenues and (ii) unspent revenues.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 54059 on 6 June 2025.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the transparency data entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, April 2025, published on 30 May 2025, what services were commissioned from Livewire Consultancy Limited in relation to the Devolution Priority Programme.

Livewire Consultancy Limited were contracted by this Department to collate, analyse and report on the responses to the six consultations we led on the Devolution Priority Programme.Government is now carefully considering the evidence collected, including these reports, in order to decide whether statutory tests have been met and proceed with the legislation required to establish mayoral institutions in each of the areas.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's document entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, April 2025, published on 30 May 2025, for what services her Department paid 23 RED Limited for New Towns Event Planning; and what were the events.

The New Towns Taskforce delivered a series of public engagement events in existing new towns to understand from those with lived experience the legacy of the post-war new towns. 23 RED Limited provided event management services for these events. Findings from the public engagement events will be used in the Taskforce’s Final Report, due to be submitted to ministers this summer.

Communities and Local Government, what the expected timeline is for the consideration of the appeal to the Planning Inspectorate of the planning enforcement notice issued by the London Borough of Greenwich against the Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich; and if she will make it her policy to recover the appeal.

This appeal (reference APP/E5330/C/25/3364847) against the issue of an Enforcement Notice was received as valid on 29 April 2025. The appeal is proceeding by way of a Hearing. In letters to the main parties dated 1 May, the timetable for the receipt of various documents from them was set out in accordance with the legislative requirements. An Inspector has been appointed and the hearing is scheduled to open on 5 August 2025 and expected to last one day. A decision is therefore likely to be issued on behalf of the Secretary of State, well within the ministerial measures range of 24 – 26 weeks from receipt of a valid appeal; those dates being 14-28 October.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of people not from the UK or EU who are sleeping rough.

The expectation is that migrants coming into the UK should be able to maintain and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds. This reflects the need to maintain the confidence of general public that immigration brings benefits to our country, rather than add costs to the public purse. When individuals granted refugee status leave Home Office accommodation, they are entitled to help with finding accommodation from their local authority if homeless. If in priority need, they will be provided with temporary accommodation. The Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant funding can be used to help anyone, as long as areas act within the law in doing so.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's document entitled Remote attendance and proxy voting in local authorities: consultation results and government response, published on 5 June 2025, whether she has considered the potential merits of proxy voting of quasi-judicial committees (a) and its compatibility with the principles of non-determination on those committees and (b) in general.

We stated in gov.uk here that we plan to require all principal councils in England to introduce proxy voting schemes for full council meetings. We also stated that for all other meetings, proxy voting may be used but will not be required, and that substitute or pairing schemes may be more appropriate. We trust councils to develop clear and sensible policies that will work for their local areas.

Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities offer Level 7 Apprenticeships.

MHCLG does not hold this data. Local authorities are independent employers and are responsible for managing the apprenticeships they offer to their workforce.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to respond to the consultation on Transparency of land ownership involving trusts, published in December 2023.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 30021 on 18 February 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has issued a direction under section 321 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in relation to the Chinese Embassy planning application.

There is no direction under section 321 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in force in respect of this case.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 89 of the drawings entitled CD 1.03C: Proposed Drawings, submitted by the Chinese Government to the Planning Inspectorate’s called-in planning inquiry for the Chinese Embassy at the Royal Mint, what the security reasons are for redacting the internal floor plans of the Cultural Exchange building.

All Inquiry documents for this case are publicly available on Tower Hamlets website here. All material planning considerations will be taken into account when reaching a decision.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 50158 on Polygamy, if she will make it her policy to commission research on this issue.

The department has no plans to commission research on this issue. It has been the policy of successive governments to prevent the formation of polygamous households in the UK.