Written questions by Hollinrake.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2025, to Question 23791, on Eden Project: Morecambe, whether the project will have full match funding of £50 million.

The final full business case for the Levelling Up Fund (LUF) Round 2 project “Eden Project North” was received by the department on the 23 September 2024. A memorandum of understanding was issued to Lancaster City Council on the 18 November 2024 and signed by the department on the 19 November 2024.It is expected that this project will have full match funding of £50 million making the total LUF project cost £100 million.I can confirm that all allocated funding will be available from Quarter one of 2026.The latest delivery milestones timetable is for each milestones including dates is set out below. Full design stage – (RIBA 2-4) March 25 - October 26 Initial enabling works during design - August 2025 - November 2025Main site enabling works commences - March 2026 - July 2026Main construction commences - March 2026 - July 2028 Main Construction Practical Completion – July 2028 - August 2028Operational Readiness, Activation and Transition – May 2028 - October 2028

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2025, to Question 23790, on Eden Project: Morecambe, whether the allocated funding will be available from Quarter one of 2026.

The final full business case for the Levelling Up Fund (LUF) Round 2 project “Eden Project North” was received by the department on the 23 September 2024. A memorandum of understanding was issued to Lancaster City Council on the 18 November 2024 and signed by the department on the 19 November 2024.It is expected that this project will have full match funding of £50 million making the total LUF project cost £100 million.I can confirm that all allocated funding will be available from Quarter one of 2026.The latest delivery milestones timetable is for each milestones including dates is set out below. Full design stage – (RIBA 2-4) March 25 - October 26 Initial enabling works during design - August 2025 - November 2025Main site enabling works commences - March 2026 - July 2026Main construction commences - March 2026 - July 2028 Main Construction Practical Completion – July 2028 - August 2028Operational Readiness, Activation and Transition – May 2028 - October 2028

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the consultations on establishing mayoral combined authorities, published on 17 February 2025, for what reason respondents are asked their sexual orientation to respond to the consultation.

Collecting demographic information in the consultation helps us to understand whether the responses we receive are representative of those who live and work in the areas involved in the consultations. This will also help MHCLG conduct an equality impact assessment to ensure compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty. We are not asking for information that identifies individuals in consultation responses, and the demographic information provided is anonymous.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question 25272 on Political Parties: Finance, whether the Labour Party has been consulted by (a) Ministers, (b) her Department and (c) special advisers as a stakeholder.

The work to give effect to this commitment is ongoing, and we are engaging with key stakeholders, such as the Electoral Commission. My department has not consulted political parties on these proposals yet.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 February 2025 to Question 30633 on Democracy and Elections, whether she plans to hold discussions with (a) the Conservative and Unionist Party, (b) other opposition parties represented in the House of Commons and (c) Sinn Fein on this matter.

The Government is consulting with various stakeholders ahead of setting out our approach to elections and electoral reform for this Parliament.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question 22777 on Land Registry: Buildings, how many staff are assigned to each of those office locations.

Further to the answer given to Question UIN 22777 on 27 January 2025, the figure given for each office is the number of individual members of staff based at that office who attended the office on at least one day within the specified month.A member of staff is recorded as having attended the office on any given day if they spent the majority of that day at a HM Land Registry office (or another workplace that is not a HM Land Registry office such as other government department, supplier premises or customer offices, where they needed to do so for work).The number of staff assigned to each of HM Land Registry’s offices on 30 November 2024 and 26 February 2025 can be found in the table below. No adjustment has been made to attendance numbers to account for those on short term leave. Office LocationNet Headcount (excluding long-term absences) 30 November 2024Net Headcount (excluding long-term absences) 26 February 2025Birkenhead547540Coventry278286Croydon398402Durham827816Fylde444445Gloucester361358Hull371383Leicester310326Nottingham580566Peterborough297300Plymouth804803Swansea879881Telford359353Weymouth275272Total67306731

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Statement of 29 January 2025, HCWS396, on Growth Corridor Strategy, if she will place the list the proposed locations of each of the 18 submissions for large-scale new developments within the Oxford-Cambridge corridor.

The government has tasked the New Towns Taskforce, an independent expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Michael Lyons, with developing recommendations to ministers on suitable locations for new towns, as well as how to fund and deliver them. The Taskforce will submit its final report this summer.The Taskforce will not be sharing information about its locations evidence base prior to publication of the final report.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 30642 on Tower Hamlets Council, which opposition parties are represented on the Board; and if she will ensure that each opposition party on the council is able to send a councillor to the Board.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 30642 on 19 February 2025.The Deputy Prime Minister has directed that Tower Hamlets Council should include at least two opposition councillors on its Transformation and Assurance Board. The exact approach to that is, quite properly, a matter for the Council itself not for Ministers.The Council is responsible, subject to the Directions given by the Deputy Prime Minister, for its own improvement journey and the government is committed to working in a spirit of partnership to ensure councils across the country are fit, legal and decent.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2024 to Question 10528 on Candidates: Expenditure, what guidance the Government issued to (a) candidates, (b) parties and (c) election agents on notional invoices in Representation of the People Act returns before 2001.

The government is not responsible for issuing guidance on campaign expenditure. From 2001, it has been the role of the independent regulator, the Electoral Commission, to issue guidance on campaign expenditure, including notional expenditure. Retrieving the information on the position prior to 2001 could only be done at a disproportionate cost to the department.

Communities and Local Government, whether the next round of the Affordable Housing Programme will include provision for the housing needs of older people given the pace of demographic change; and if she will implement the recommendation to expand provision of the Older People’s Shared Ownership scheme set out within the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report entitled Our Future Homes: Housing that promotes wellbeing and community for an ageing population, published on 26 November 2024.

The government will set out details of future investment in social and affordable housing at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.The government is committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market and we will continue to consider this issue as we develop our long-term housing strategy.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question 902375 on Electoral Register: Wales, if she publish the minutes of the Interministerial Group on Elections for meetings held since 4 July 2024.

The Interministerial Group met on 12 February 2025 and the communique will be published in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether the forthcoming housing strategy will consider (a) the housing needs of older people given the pace of demographic change and (b) the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report entitled Our Future Homes: Housing that promotes wellbeing and community for an ageing population, published on 26 November 2024.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 28990 on 18 February 2025.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question 16552 on MHCLG: Marketing, if she will provide (a) an extract and (b) hyperlink to the details of the expenditure on the re-branding.

The costs of rebranding fell significantly below the threshold for publishing expenditure, but records indicate costs incurred amounted to £13,921.70.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on whether a local authority’s decision to respond to the invitation for two-tier restructuring requires approval of that authority’s (a) executive or (b) full council.

On 5 February, I formally invited proposals for local government reorganisation from all the councils in two tier areas and their neighbouring unitary councils. It is for councils themselves to decide what approval processes they should follow in responding to my invitation in line with their own individual constitution arrangements.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed population size for unitary councils on (a) democratic accountability, (b) local identity and (c) the ability of a local councillors to provide effective representation; and if she will take steps to reduce the proposed population size where those issues cannot be mitigated.

On 5 February 2025, I formally invited proposals for local government reorganisation from all the councils in two tier areas and their neighbouring unitary councils.The invitation letter sets out the criteria against which proposals will be assessed in coming to a decision on implementation. These include the criteria that new unitary structures must be the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks; reflect local identity considerations; and enable stronger community engagement and genuine opportunity for neighbourhood empowerment. It also asks councils in their interim plans to include early views as to the councillor numbers that will ensure both effective democratic representation for all parts of the area, and also effective governance and decision-making arrangements.It will be for councils to consider the assessment criteria as they develop and submit proposals that are in the best interest of their area.

Communities and Local Government, whether private members’ clubs with licensed premises are eligible for full retail, hospitality and leisure business rate relief.

The administration of business rates, including billing, enforcement and decisions on the award of relief is the responsibility of local government. Local authorities are responsible for making decisions and do so having regard to guidance published by the government and the circumstances of the individual property.Local authority guidance on the Retail Hospitality and Leisure scheme can be found at: Business Rates Relief: 2024/25 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Scheme - GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her proposals for local government restructuring on (a) planning capacity and (b) the number of planners working in local authorities.

There has not yet been a direct assessment of the potential impact of proposals for local government restructuring on planning capacity or planning workforce numbers. This will be a matter for local councils to consider as they develop their proposals for reorganisation. As set out in the published criteria for proposals, unitary structures must prioritise the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services to citizens; proposals should show how new structures will improve local government and service delivery and should avoid unnecessary fragmentation of services. Following submission, we will consider all proposals carefully before taking decisions on how to proceed. To support with capacity related to local government reorganisation, the government intends to provide some funding for preparing to take forward any proposal, and we will share further information later in the process. More widely, at the Budget, the government announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system to support capacity and capability in local planning authorities, including through the recruitment and training of 300 graduate and apprentice planners and the development of skills needed to implement reforms and unlock housing delivery.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 23866 on Communities and Recovery Steering Group, if she will place the minutes of each meeting in the Library.

In keeping with general practice, we do not currently intend to place these minutes in the Library.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on (a) public participation and (b) engagement with hon. Members in (i) council and (ii) combined authority meetings.

We have not issued guidance on public participation or engagement with MPs in council meetings.In 2014 the Department for Communities and Local Government published a plain English guide to open and accountable local government. This guidance addressed the public’s right to attend and report on council meetings, and related matters such as access to meeting documents.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Oral Statement of 5 February 2025 on English Devolution and Local Government, Official Report, Column 766, what steps she is taking to monitor the potential savings to the public purse following her planned local government reorganisation.

It will be for the new councils to achieve the efficiencies identified in reorganisation proposals and subsequent detailed implementation and transformation plans while delivering high quality and sustainable public services to local residents and businesses. This has been the case in recent local government reorganisation processes.