Written questions by Hollinrake.

Communities and Local Government, what progress the Best Value intervention has made on improving Birmingham City Council’s oracle and income management system.

The Best Value Intervention has supported substantial progress in addressing key issues relating to Birmingham City Council’s Oracle ERP system. A new re-implementation strategy is set, with the Council committed to adopting the best practice processes of the new system. The programme is currently in the design phase, with Council officers engaged in understanding system requirements and developing a formally agreed process model. Commissioners have noted improved leadership, staff engagement and collaboration. The Council, supported by Commissioners, will continue their efforts during this crucial period – the system build is expected to commence once the design phase concludes in May and the Council formally agrees the way forward, with a currently planned implementation in 2026.

Communities and Local Government, if she will issue guidance to local authorities on communicating levels of risk associated with green investment products to consumers; and whether municipal green investment trust products are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Under the current system, councils are free to determine their own investment strategies. In doing so they must, however, have regard to statutory guidance that sets out best practice to ensure decisions are prudent, affordable and sustainable, and comply with their Best Value Duty. Investments should represent value for money and not place tax payers’ money at excessive risk. If a firm offering an investment product in question was authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) or Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), is no longer solvent and cannot pay for a claim, the FSCS may offer compensation up to a certain limit. The firm must also be undertaking an activity regulated by the PRA or FCA in relation to that investment product.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the increase in employers National Insurance contributions on the number of staff directly employed by local authorities.

We recognise the pressures local authorities are under as demand for vital services grows. Government is providing £2 billion of additional grant funding through the Settlement, including £502 million to manage the impact of employer National Insurance Contribution changes on council budgets, and £13 million for combined authorities, totalling £515 million. Payments to councils will be unringfenced to give local authorities discretion over the use of funds in their area. This funding can be used to support councils to mitigate the additional costs of employer National Insurance Contributions within direct, commissioned, and externally provided local services, for example. Additional funding for employer NICs has been determined based on a national assessment of the costs for directly employed staff. The grant distribution methodology has been published in an explanatory note on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-explanatory-note-on-the-employer-national-insurance-contribution-grant-2025-to-2026.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the increase of employers National Insurance contributions on (a) commissioned and (b) externally provided council services.

We recognise the pressures local authorities are under as demand for vital services grows. Government is providing £2 billion of additional grant funding through the Settlement, including £502 million to manage the impact of employer National Insurance Contribution changes on council budgets, and £13 million for combined authorities, totalling £515 million. Payments to councils will be unringfenced to give local authorities discretion over the use of funds in their area. This funding can be used to support councils to mitigate the additional costs of employer National Insurance Contributions within direct, commissioned, and externally provided local services, for example. Additional funding for employer NICs has been determined based on a national assessment of the costs for directly employed staff. The grant distribution methodology has been published in an explanatory note on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-explanatory-note-on-the-employer-national-insurance-contribution-grant-2025-to-2026.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April 2025 to Question 43565 on Faith Matters and Tell MAMA: Finance, if she will publish correspondence between her Department and Faith Matters in relation to her Department's funding offer for the 2025-26 financial year.

The Government made available £500,000 for funding Tell MAMA in 2025/26 to support their work, subject to signing of a Grant Funding Agreement. This was in addition to the new Combatting Hate Against Muslims fund, announced on 2 April.It would not be appropriate for the department to publish private correspondence between the department and existing or prospective funded partners.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press notice entitled Government calls last orders on red tape choking pubs, clubs, and restaurants in major boost to the British night out, published on 4 April 2025, whether her Department plans to give all combined authority mayors the power to call-in Licensing Act 2003 applications and premises reviews.

The government will work with the Greater London Authority to review strategic licensing powers and explore a pilot scheme, providing the Mayor of London with new powers over strategic licensing. Following any pilot, the government will consider the case for rolling this out to other mayors across England.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued guidance to (a) local planning authorities and (b) the Planning Inspectorate on whether applicants for planning permission should be required to provide information on their (i) protected characteristics and (ii) associated diversity information.

The government has not issued guidance specific to planning applications on providing information relating to protected characteristics and associated diversity information.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press notice entitled OBR concludes planning reforms will bring housebuilding to its highest level in 40 years, published 26 November 2025, further to the HM Treasury press release on 26 March 2025, whether it is her Department's target to deliver 1.5 homes by the end of this Parliament in (a) England or (b) the UK.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 5686 on 11 October 2024.

Communities and Local Government, who attends daily meetings between her Department and Birmingham City Council.

MHCLG Resilience & Recovery Directorate officials attend the multi-agency coordinating group established in response to the declaration of a major incident by Birmingham City Council. Area Team officials are also meeting twice weekly with Birmingham City Council's operational team to support the council's efforts to clear the backlog of waste on the streets. In addition, a number of meetings continue to take place as part of the regular dialogue between MHCLG officials and the leadership of the city council to ensure the welfare of Birmingham residents and a swift resolution to the dispute.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department holds information on the number of days each Minister in her Department has spent working primarily at her Department's offices outside London since 5 July 2024, broken down by location.

MHCLG Ministers work closely with local leaders across the country, including visiting and working from locations outside of London, including the Department’s offices across the UK. MHCLG does not hold a central record of the number of days Ministers work from each office.

Communities and Local Government, whether (a) her Department and (b) the Planning Inspectorate have issued guidance on the Supreme Court judgement UKSC/2022/0064 in relation to considering the potential impact of planning applications and appeals on the environment.

The Supreme Court judgement UKSC/2022/0064 clarified that downstream emissions are to be considered for oil extraction projects where those emissions are an inevitable consequence of the oil extraction. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have since consulted on draft supplementary EIA guidance for assessing the effects of scope 3 emissions on climate from offshore oil and gas projects. The consultation responses are being reviewed, and the updated guidance is expected to be published as soon as possible.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Government backs mayor to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport, published on 9 April 2025, how much of the £30 million funding was not already allocated to the combined authority in the Integrated Settlement.

The £30 million funding is devolved existing funding that has been unlocked for the mayor to invest in local priorities by providing flexibility on its use through the new, flexible, long-term Integrated Settlement which we intend to implement in SYMCA from 2026/27, following them demonstrating readiness and building capacity locally.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have had with the Welsh Government on council tax revaluation and re-banding.

The government maintains regular engagement with the Welsh Government on a range of issues. Council tax is a devolved matter, but we are aware that the Welsh Government has set out its intention to introduce a revaluation of council tax bands from 2028 and has consulted on wider reforms.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the value for money of a national Housing First rollout.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers given to Question UIN 31735 on 13 February 2025 and Question UIN 15811 on 3 December 2024.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the cost of a national Housing First scheme.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers given to Question UIN 31735 on 13 February 2025 and Question UIN 15811 on 3 December 2024.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of trends in the level the cost of homelessness support on local government.

This Government has inherited record levels of homelessness, and we recognise the cost pressures this has put on councils. That’s why we have increased funding for homelessness services in 2025/26 by £233 million to nearly £1 billion, alongside a local government finance settlement for 2025/26 which makes available over £69bn for local government, a 6.8% cash terms increase on 2024/25.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled Government calls ‘last orders’ on red tape choking pubs, clubs, and restaurants in major boost to the British night out, published on 4 April 2025, whether the pilot scheme for strategic licensing powers for the Mayor of London will require primary legislation.

The government will work with the Greater London Authority to review strategic licensing powers and explore a pilot scheme, providing the Mayor of London with new powers over strategic licensing. The government and the Greater London Authority will work closely with local stakeholders to design the pilot scheme.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 41465 on Permitted Development Rights, whether local authorities are required to publish Article 4 Directions; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the absence of a central repository of Article 4 Directions on (a) householders and (b) developers.

An assessment of the potential impact of the absence of a central repository of Article 4 Directions has not been undertaken. Householders and developers should check with their local authority whether an Article 4 Direction applies in a specific area.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled Government calls ‘last orders’ on red tape choking pubs, clubs, and restaurants in major boost to the British night out, published on 4 April 2025, whether the pilot scheme will apply to the application process for pavement licences.

The government will work with the Greater London Authority to review strategic licensing powers and explore a pilot scheme, providing the Mayor of London with new powers over strategic licensing. The government and the Greater London Authority will work closely with local stakeholders to design the pilot scheme.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of retrospective Community Infrastructure Levy requirements on small-scale development.

Local planning authorities which have adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy are responsible for charging, collecting and administering the levy in their area, in line with legislation and with regard to guidance issued by government. The levy is intended to provide a transparent and certain approach to the collection of developer contributions as developers, including smaller scale developers, should be made aware upfront of what they will be liable to pay and when it will become payable. The government has not made an estimate of the number of retrospective CIL requirements on small-scale development. However, we are committed to improving the existing system of developer contributions, including CIL. This includes considering any concerns about the operation of CIL, including in respect of retrospective planning applications, and the process for obtaining exemptions by people developing their own homes.