Written questions by Hollinrake.

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.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the transparency data entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, April 2025, published on 30 May 2025, what the services commissioned from Verian Group UK Limited were.

The following sets out more detail of spend for Verian Group UK Ltd: The Rough Sleeping Questionnaire was carried out in 2019 to understand issues faced by those sleeping rough. The Department repeated the questionnaire in 2025 to update findings, and commissioned Verian to conduct the survey fieldwork with those sleeping rough. The PRS Place Based Quality Pilots are a set of pathfinder projects to improve enforcement of existing standards in the private rented sector. Verian have been commissioned to deliver an evaluation of the scheme, including a range of fieldwork and analysis of data. The Department commissioned Verian to research Demolition Planning Policy. Verian have conducted a survey of stakeholders across the industry to understand how and why decisions are made to demolish and redevelop or retrofit buildings, explore the role of national and local policy in decision-making and the tools and guidance used to inform decisions. The Department commissioned Verian to carry out focus groups and interviews about the levels of understanding around a number of policy areas relating to housing and infrastructure to help improve government communications to inform the Long Term Housing Strategy.

Communities and Local Government, what representations her Department has received on collection practices for the Community Infrastructure Levy by Waverley Borough Council.

My Department has received correspondence concerning the imposition of Community Infrastructure Levy charges by various levy charging authorities, including Waverley Borough Council. We are keeping the issues highlighted in this correspondence under review.The government is committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure that new developments provide appropriate affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.

Communities and Local Government, how much funding has been provided to the Independent Commission On Neighbourhoods; and whether the Commission is a public authority for (a) Freedom of Information and (b) environmental information regulation purposes.

The Independent Commission On Neighbourhoods has received no funding from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. It is independent and not a public authority and therefore does not fall within the scope of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.This government welcomes the establishment of the Independent Commission On Neighbourhoods (ICON) and the important work it is undertaking to understand how to build neighbourhoods that are more resilient, more empowered, and more capable of shaping their own futures.We look forward to engaging constructively with the Commission’s findings and insights as they emerge, and to learning from its work in helping communities take greater control of their futures.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to annex 14 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Impact assessment, published in May 2025, what she expects the average length of a strategic plan to be.

As the Planning and Infrastructure Bill Impact Assessment sets outs, the government expects that spatial development strategies will be concise and focused to reflect their role as high level strategic documents. As such, we expect future spatial development strategies to be significantly shorter than the current London Plan.While we do not intend to indicate precisely how long spatial development strategies should be, my department will provide strategic planning authorities with further guidance to support them in meeting this expectation.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 52274 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Aviation, when she plans to deposit this information.

I will arrange for this information to be deposited in the House of Commons Library.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, what the purpose was of the payment to the Science Museum on Recruitment.

The payment to the Science Museum was for the National Railway Museum Levelling Up Culture capital project announced at the Spring Budget 2024. It has been incorrectly categorised on the document published on 28 April 2025. Officials will seek to correct this error.

Communities and Local Government, when her Department plans to respond to the First Report of the Speaker's Conference on the security of MPs, candidates and elections, published on 22 June 2025, HC 570; and whether political parties will be consulted prior to that response.

This government has made it clear that intimidation and abuse of those participating in public life has no place in our society and cannot be tolerated. We value the work done by the Speaker’s Conference to bring attention to and investigate this important issue. We will carefully consider the recommendations made by the Speaker’s Conference in their first report and will respond in due course. The government intends to engage with both political parties and external stakeholders prior to a formal response. This is a complex challenge, so the joint efforts of government, the police and parliament are crucial to addressing this issue. We will continue to engage with the Speaker’s Conference as they move into the next phase of their work

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the number of second home dwellings liable for the second homes council tax premium being flipped to holiday lets liable for business rates; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of this on net revenues.

The government is not aware of any substantial evidence which demonstrates a trend of second homes being converted into holiday lets. There is a clear set of criteria before a holiday let can be assessed for business rates. The property must have been available to let for at least 140 days in the last year and actually let for at least 70 days in the last year. The government keeps all taxes under review.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's transparency data entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, April 2025, published on 30 May 2025, if she will publish the specification of the research commissioned from Verian Group UK Limited for Research on Demolition and Planning Policy.

The report for the research in question is being finalised. We intend to publish this in due course, in line with departmental policy, including details of the research objectives and methodology.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Local government reorganisation: summary of feedback on interim plans, published on 3 June 2025, if she will publish each feedback letter sent to every council that submitted proposals for local government reorganisation.

We have no plans to publish the feedback provided to individual areas. There will be a significant volume of correspondence with local authorities as part of the reorganisation programme and we do not consider it appropriate to publish all of that correspondence. We have been clear to councils that our feedback is shareable should they wish to do so.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2025 to Question HL070 on Unitary Councils, what criteria her Department plans to use to determine when to make a request to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England to (a) provide formal advice and (b) undertake a formal electoral review, in the context of Sections (i) 4 and (ii) 8 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

As set out in my answers to PQ 38625 and 34287, my department is liaising closely with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) so that they are involved at the appropriate time. The process set out in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 allows the Secretary of State to seek the advice of the LGBCE on any matter relating to a proposal that has been submitted in response to an invitation. No criteria have been set for seeking advice, which will depend on the proposals received, as appropriate at the time. The LGBCE is responsible for its own work programme. It carries out electoral reviews for local government, reviewing wards, and setting the council size in terms of number of councillors.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of (a) the upfront cost to the public purse of local government restructuring and (b) the configuration of unitary restructuring necessary to deliver savings.

We have no estimate of the upfront cost of reorganisation. As set out in my answers to Question UIN 31960 answered on 3 March 2025, and Question UIN 48973 answered on 8 May 2025, the upfront costs of local government reorganisation will be a matter for local councils to consider as they develop their proposals. In our invitations to councils, we set out that proposals should set out how an area will seek to manage transition costs. We expect that areas will be able to meet potential costs over time from existing budgets, including the flexible use of capital receipts and invest-to-save projects, and the efficiencies from reorganisation.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Question 46286 on Housing, whether she plans to (a) bring forward legislative proposals and (b) update guidance on Empty Dwelling Management on the issuing of those orders for empty homes of the deceased.

As set out in the Devolution White paper, we are committed to strengthening local authority powers to take over the management of vacant residential premises. Further updates will be provided in due course.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the consultation entitled Reform of planning committees: technical consultation, published on 28 May 2025, whether the Full Council of a local authority will be able to call in a (a) Tier A and (b) Tier B planning application if requested by local councillors.

As set out in the technical consultation on reform of planning committees published on 28 May 2025, all applications in Tier A would be delegated to planning officers. However, Question 5 asks for views on whether there should be a mechanism to bring a Tier A application to committee in exceptional circumstances and, if so, what would those circumstances be and how would the mechanism operate. Applications in Tier B would be presumed to be delegated unless the chief planning officer (or equivalent officer in local planning authorities without a chief planning officer) and Chair of Committee agree it should go to Committee based on a gateway test. The consultation is open for views until 23 July 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has a policy on the use of technical language in planning applications.

The government has no specific policy related to the use of technical language in planning applications.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the operation of the arrangements in relation to the implementation of Section 81 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 on the renaming of streets.

My Department continues to monitor the implementation of s.81 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question 51872 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Civil Servants, how many staff are in a redeployment position in each of her department's Arm's Length Bodies in the most recent period for which information is held.

The department does not hold this information.

Communities and Local Government, whether the provisions in her Department's guidance entitled Sensitive information in planning applications have been used for the planning application for the Chinese Embassy in relation to information provided by (a) the applicant and (b) third parties.

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