Written questions by Hollinrake.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to amend planning (a) policy and (b) legislation to help facilitate the construction of new water reservoirs.

On 29 May, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced the Fens and Lincolnshire Reservoirs would be given ‘nationally significant’ status and set out the government’s intention to legislate so that similar projects would automatically be ‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects’ and considered under the Planning Act 2008.The National Policy Statement for Water Resources Infrastructure, which includes policy on reservoirs, was designated in September 2023.The Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs intends to undertake a targeted update to the NPS to streamline water resources infrastructure projects.

Communities and Local Government, what weight her Department gives to planning representations made directly to the Secretary of State after a called-in public inquiry has taken place and prior to the decision-notice by the Secretary of State.

All relevant information is taken into account before the Secretary of State determines a called-in planning application or recovered appeal.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued on recharging visits that include a mix of political and official engagements from political parties.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, this is considered on a case by case basis, in line with Chapter 10 of the Ministerial Code.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 45696 on Planning Permission, if she will publish the Planning and Infrastructure Bill environmental principles assessment.

Environmental Principles assessments are not routinely published. However, environmental considerations in respect of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill were given due regard in line with the requirements of the Environment Act 2021.

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 reason her Department has ceased publishing data for (a) expense type, (b) expense area, (c) voluntary and community sector, (d) SME class, (e) postal code and (f) grant since the publication of MHCLG: spending over £25,000, January 2025 on 27 February 2025.

MHCLG reviewed and amended the publication of its spend data to make it more accessible to the lay reader. We are currently in the process of aligning the data that we publish with Cabinet Office mandatory expectations.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has provided guidance to local authorities on retaining Community Infrastructure Levy payments for the purpose of using the interest accrued on that funding for servicing spending from local authority General Fund Accounts.

Community Infrastructure Levy receipts must be used for the purposes which are set out in section 216 of the Planning Act 2008 and Part 7 of the CIL Regulations. The Department has not provided guidance to local authorities on retaining Community Infrastructure Levy payments for the purpose of using the interest accrued on that funding for servicing spending from local authority General Fund Accounts.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 2 June 2025 entitled Planning reform and housing delivery, HCWS673, who will be responsible for determining whether planning applications will fall into tier (a) A and (b) B.

Through regulations we will set out which planning applications should be delegated to planning officers and which could go to a planning committee, if the Chair of the committee and chief planning officer (or equivalent officer in local planning authorities without a chief planning officer) agree that committee consideration is warranted. Further details are set out in the technical consultation on the implementation of our proposals to modernise planning committees that the government published on 28 May. It can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to commence the remaining provisions of the Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017.

The government intends to commence the temporary possession provisions in the Neighbourhood Planning Act (NPA 2017). To pave the way for this, we are taking forward a measure in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to amend the NPA 2017 temporary possession powers to disapply them to Transport and Works Act Orders, Development Consent Orders and Infrastructure Consent Orders. This will allow the NPA 2017 provisions to be commenced for taking temporary possession of land in respect of compulsory purchase orders made under regimes such as the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 without impacting the delivery of critical infrastructure. Following Royal Assent of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and before commencing the amended NPA 2017 temporary possession power provisions, we will need to consult on regulations relating to the reinstatement of land subject to a period of temporary possession.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to section 6.4 of the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, who the members of the working group with the Greater London Authority are.

The working group is attended by senior officials from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Greater London Authority.

Communities and Local Government, how many households have used Government-funded home ownership schemes in England in each of the last 30 years.

Over the past 30 years, various government-funded home ownership schemes have supported first-time buyers in England. As these schemes were administered by different organisations, some of which no longer exist, there is no single, centralised, and comprehensive data source capturing the total number of households assisted over the full period in question. The number of households helped between April 2013 and 31 May 2023, using a Help to Buy: Equity Loan and between March 2012 and 8 September 2015 using Help to Buy: NewBuy scheme can be found on gov.uk here. There is also sales data available on gov.uk on Right to Buy from 1980-81, Right to Acquire from 1998-99, and Social HomeBuy from 2006-07 in Live Tables 678, 677 and 683 respectively which are published here. Although data on sales through individual affordable home ownership schemes such as First Homes, Affordable Home Ownership, and Shared Ownership is not available, the number of new delivered homes under these tenures, which can be used as a proxy, is available in Live Table 1000 here. These have been delivered using a mix of funding sources, including government funding and developer contributions. Data on the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme since launching in April 2021 is available here.

Communities and Local Government, how many affordable homes were built in England in each of the last 30 years; and what type of affordable tenure those homes were.

The amount of new build affordable housing by tenure is available since 1991-92 in Live Table 1009 here. The data is presented separately for new builds and acquisitions.

Communities and Local Government, if she will list the documents that set out the relationship between the Electoral Commission and (a) the Government and (b) Parliament.

The Electoral Commission is the statutory body responsible for overseeing elections and regulating political finance in the UK. It is independent of government and is accountable to – and funded by – the UK Parliament for its reserved functions through the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission. Its role, powers and governance arrangements are set out in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 50516 on Trade Unions: Finance, whether she plans to update that guidance once the Employment Rights Bill is passed.

No.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Valuation Tribunal Service's Council Tax Manual has been updated since the 2022 edition published on its website.

The last published update for the Valuation Tribunal Service (VTS) Council Tax Manual was August 2023. This document can be accessed through the VTS website here. A further update is near completion and will be published in July 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to make changes to (a) regulation and (b) guidance in relation to council tax (i) collection and (ii) debts.

The government has announced it will be consulting on modernising the administration of council tax, including its collection and enforcement. The government will consider any necessary changes to regulations or guidance following this consultation.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Unite trade union press release entitled Birmingham Bin Strike Escalates, published on of 21 May 2025, what role the Best Value Commissioners in Birmingham City Council have in the ACAS negotiations between Birmingham City Council and the Unite trade union on the bin collection industrial action.

Local Authorities are independent employers responsible for agreeing pay and terms for their workforce, and so the ACAS negotiations relating to Birmingham's waste service are rightly being held between the Council and the Unite trade union. Commissioners do not have a direct role in these negotiations; their role is to support the council in line with Directions from the Secretary of State, and ensure the Council is meeting its Best Value duty.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2025 to Question 52861 on Empty Property: Council Tax, how many council tax appeals relating to second homes have been considered by the Valuation Tribunal Service since July 2024.

The Valuation Tribunal for England have cleared 1102 Council Tax Liability appeals since 1 July 2024. Fewer than 100 of these cases referenced issues relating specifically to second homes.

Communities and Local Government, whether local billing authorities are required to collect data on the name of each adult in a household when billing a dwelling for council tax.

Councils are required to assess who is liable for council tax for a specific dwelling and whether any discounts, disregards, reductions, premiums or exemptions are applicable to the dwelling or its occupants. However, councils are not required to collect data on the name of every individual resident of a household.

Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for making a decision on local government restructuring in Surrey; whether she plans to hold a formal consultation process on the number of new unitary councils to be created; when she plans to publish the proposed council (a) wards and (b) divisions for the new unitary councils; and what the latest date is for the passage of secondary legislation to allow for shadow unitary elections in May 2026.

I am currently considering the submissions for unitary local government in Surrey that were received on 9 May. Before a proposal can be implemented the statute – the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 – requires consultation. As I set out to the House on 3 June, I will provide the House with a full update shortly.My expectation remains that in Surrey there will be elections to new shadow unitary councils in May 2026 with a view to going live in April 2027. Warding or divisional arrangements would be included in the secondary legislation that gives effect to a proposal and makes provision for those elections. Any legislation would need to be in force ahead of the date by which the notice of the elections must be published, which for the ordinary day of election in 2026 is 30 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what plans the Valuation Tribunal Service has to update the Council Tax Manual.

The last published update for the Valuation Tribunal Service (VTS) Council Tax Manual was August 2023. This document can be accessed through the VTS website here. A further update is near completion and will be published in July 2025.