Written questions by Hollinrake.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 6 January 2025, HCWS353, on Community Ownership Fund Round 4, how will the funds previously allocated to the Fund be utilised elsewhere.

The Community Ownership Fund has awarded a total of over £135 million to 409 projects across the United Kingdom. A further £8.5 million has been used to provide pre and post application support to projects via our development support provider, to allocate small revenue grants to projects ahead of applying to support them to procure professional services, to fund the evaluation of the effectiveness of the fund and on other administrative costs.The £6.5 million in unallocated funding and any funding returned by projects that have had to withdraw will be used to fund other key government priorities.

Communities and Local Government, if she will list the programmes launched since 5 July 2024 requiring local authorities to bid for funding.

The government is committed to pursuing a comprehensive set of reforms for public services to return the local government sector to a sustainable position. This will be done in partnership with local government. We are inviting views on our objectives and principles for local government funding reform via a consultation that is open until the 12 February.In regard to Local Growth funding, this Government was elected on a manifesto that stressed a partnership approach with local authorities and an intention to stabilise the funding system by providing multi-year funding settlements and ending competitive bidding which was the requirement for funds such as Future High Streets Fund, Town Deals and the Levelling Up Fund.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 19363 on INTERREG Programme, whether any of the Interreg programmes are still operational.

All projects funded by 2014-20 INTERREG programmes had to complete delivery by December 2023. The ongoing work by MHCLG officials covered in the answer to Question 19363 is focused on closure of these programmes. The INTERREG PEACEPLUS programme continues to operate between communities in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, but MHCLG does not have a role in this programme.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to recommendation 3 of the report entitled Report on the 2024 UK Parliamentary general election and the May 2024 elections, published by the Electoral Commission, if she will make it her policy that postal voting should be the default option for all overseas voters when they register for elections.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 17831 on 12 December 2024.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 18959 on Planning Authorities: Staff, whether she plans to provide funding for the ongoing salary costs of the 300 new planning officers in the 2026-27 financial year.

The government is committed to supporting local planning authorities. Any budgets and associated salary costs beyond 2025-2026 will be determined in the forthcoming Spending Review.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 14950 on Council tax and with reference to the Provisional local government finance settlement: England, 2025 to 2026, published on 18 December 2024, what estimate her Department has made of the (a) increase in council tax receipts between 2024-25 and 2025-26 on which the core spending power estimates in the draft Settlement are based and (b) the proportion of the increase in council tax receipts that are expected to be derived from (i) increases in the level of council tax in (A) Band D and (B) and other bands and (ii) changes in net housing supply in 2025-26.

Growth in council tax revenue is calculated using two factors, growth in the size of the tax base, and levels of taxation. Council tax levels are assumed to increase in line with the principles set out at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement. More detail on the methodology including assumptions about the growth in the size of the tax base is available here.The methodology used to calculate the expected increase in average Band D council tax in England is available in the Explanatory Note on Core Spending Power for the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2025-26.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2024 to Question 17829 on Combined Authorities, what guidance her Department has issued on whether a two-tier area currently with a county council and district councils will (a) form a combined authority for that county area or (b) be merged with another county area to form a combined authority.

The English Devolution White Papper states that for areas with two tiers of local government, before moving to a single tier, the government will establish Combined County Authorities but not Combined Authorities. Also, that we will legislate to ensure that Strategic Authorities can change structure should local government reorganisation take place, for example, changing from a Combined County Authority to a Combined Authority when a two-tier area becomes single-tier.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2024 to Question 17835 on Local Government Pension Scheme, and with reference to the consultation paper entitled Local Government Pension Scheme (England and Wales): Fit for the future, published on 14 November 2024, on what (a) geographical areas or (b) local government tiers will the new asset pools be based.

The Government has asked the existing Local Government Pension Scheme asset pools to submit proposals as to how they will meet the minimum requirements set out in the consultation. The Government is not proposing to require changes to the areas covered by the pools in order to align with regions, strategic authorities or other geographic or local government areas.

Communities and Local Government, which local authorities responded to her Department's letter of 16 December 2024 on local government restructuring to (a) express a formal interest and (b) request that May 2025 local elections be cancelled.

I have welcomed the large number of areas that have responded to my letter of 16 December to recognise the benefits of mayoral devolution. A list of those county and unitary councils which have responded to my letter to make a request that involves postponing their May 2025 local elections can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-reorganisation-letter-to-two-tier-areas.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2025 to Question 20841 on Local Plans, what parts of the local development scheme will local planning authorities be required to update by March 2025.

Local planning authorities must review local development plans once every five years from their adoption date to ensure that policies remain relevant and that they address the needs of the local community. However, there will be occasions where there are significant changes in circumstances which may mean it is necessary to review the relevant strategic policies earlier. Reasons might include changes to national policy, the adoption or updating of a spatial development strategy or local government re-organisation. As a result of the revised National Planning Policy Framework published in December 2024, all councils have been asked to review and update their Local Development Schemes and send a copy of their new timetable to the Ministry by no later than 6 March 2025. They should do this in line with the well-established obligations under s.15 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and the planning practice guidance on plan-making.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2025 to Question HL3612 on Unitary Councils, what she classes as a small unitary authority.

In writing to all two-tier areas, on publication of the English Devolution White Paper on 16 December, I also wrote to their neighbouring small unitaries as well to provide further detail on the Government's plans for local government reorganisation.

Communities and Local Government, how many times local planning authorities will be required to update Local Plans following (a) the new National Planning Policy Framework, (b) the creation of Strategic Development Strategies and (c) unitarisation in two-tier areas.

Local planning authorities must review local development plans once every five years from their adoption date to ensure that policies remain relevant and that they address the needs of the local community. However, there will be occasions where there are significant changes in circumstances which may mean it is necessary to review the relevant strategic policies earlier. Reasons might include changes to national policy, the adoption or updating of a spatial development strategy or local government re-organisation. As a result of the revised National Planning Policy Framework published in December 2024, all councils have been asked to review and update their Local Development Schemes and send a copy of their new timetable to the Ministry by no later than 6 March 2025. They should do this in line with the well-established obligations under s.15 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and the planning practice guidance on plan-making.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2025 to Question 17127 on Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, if she will list each section of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 that she does not intend to (a) implement with secondary legislation and (b) substantively commence.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 17127 on 7 January 2025.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2025 to Question 17565 on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, if she will place in the Library a copy of the correspondence between her Department and the Foreign, Commons and Development Office on the planning application for a proposed new Chinese Embassy.

The government does not routinely publish correspondence between departments or place copies of such correspondence in the Library.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2025 to Question 17127 on Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, if she will list each section of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act that (a) has not yet been commenced and (b) she plans to commence (i) in 2025, (ii) in 2026 and (iii) after 2026.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 17127 on 7 January 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to publish a consultation on data sharing powers between relevant government agencies and political parties.

Effective regulation of political finance is crucial for maintaining public trust in our electoral systems. The Government has committed to strengthen the rules around donations to political parties to protect our democracy. My department is developing proposals to give effect to these commitments and will make them public in due course.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the section entitled timelines and next steps of her Department’s letter to local councils of 16 December 2024 on the devolution white paper, what the methodological difference is between (a) areas that need reorganisation to unlock devolution and (b) areas that are minded-to join the Devolution Priority programme.

Reorganisation should not delay devolution. We will shortly set out which areas will be included in our Devolution Priority Programme, aimed at places ready to come together under the sensible geography criteria set out in the White Paper and wishing to progress to an accelerated timescale. This is with a view to inaugural mayoral elections in May 2026. However, places will be in different stages of their devolution journey. While some will already have an existing strategic authority, others may be in the process of establishing one, and in other places reorganisation may be necessary to unlock devolution or open up new devolution options. Government is now reviewing responses to the 16 December letter and decisions will be made in due course.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the policy paper entitled Planning Reform Working Paper: Planning Committees, published on 9 December 2024, whether the requirements for delegation to planning officers would apply to planning applications for traveller sites.

The working paper in question invites views on a number of proposals designed to support better decision making in the planning system, including proposals on a national scheme of delegation. We have made no decisions in relation to how a national scheme of delegation would work, including in relation to applications for traveller sites. Should we determine to take proposals for a national scheme of delegation forward they would be the subject of further detailed consultation in the normal way.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2025 to Question 20655 on Housing: Migrants, what information her Department holds on the potential impact of immigration on housing costs.

We do not routinely publish analysis on factors affecting housing costs.The government is determined to address the dire inheritance left by its predecessor and restore order to the asylum and immigration systems, delivering lower net migration.Boosting the supply of homes of all tenures must be at the heart of any strategy to improve housing affordability which is why the government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 3 of the Renters’ Rights Bill Impact Assessment, published in November 2024, what her Department's evidential basis is that tenants wanting to own a pet will incur approximately £7 in discretionary costs annually per household.

The government published its Impact Assessment for the Renters’ Rights Bill on 22 November 2024, following scrutiny from the Regulatory Policy Committee. The Impact Assessment received a ‘green’ rating, indicating it is ‘fit for purpose’.Throughout the development of the Impact Assessment, we have used evidence from a range of sources. In relation to pets, we have drawn on information from the English Housing Survey, insurance comparison websites, a number of animal organisations and discussions with industry trade bodies. All evidence and assumption underpinning the costs and benefits are detailed in the Impact Assessment, which can be found on gov.uk here.