Written questions by Hollinrake.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 July 2025 to Question 66478 on Innovation: Beer and Public Houses, whether 16 and 17 year olds will be permitted to consume non-alcoholic products with substantive meals accompanied by an adult.

In Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Government has committed to exploring measures to regulate access to no- and low-alcohol (NoLo) products in line with other alcoholic beverages. This policy is being pursued as alcohol substitute drinks are only intended for consumption by adults.Department officials are progressing work to take forward this commitment and are in the process of scoping out the full details. We will update stakeholders in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department held discussions with representatives of political parties prior to the publication of the policy paper entitled Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections, published on 17 July 2025.

The Government has worked closely with its partners in local and devolved government, with the electoral sector, with education providers and civil society, and with citizens themselves in the development of the strategy for modern and secure elections. We will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders, including with political parties and sector representative organisations such as the Association of Electoral Administrators, to ensure these changes are delivered successfully.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 70571 on Elections: Campaigns, whether the new imprint requirements will apply outside candidate-specific regulated election periods.

Imprint requirements play an important role in upholding trust in our democratic process by ensuring voters can see clearly who is behind printed and digital campaigning material. The period for which the print and digital imprint rules apply will remain the same. As digital campaigning is not confined to election periods, the UK-wide digital imprint regime, for the most part, applies all-year round. Whereas the print regime applies during regulated periods for candidates.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 August 2025 to Question 68415 on Political Parties: Finance, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals relating to donors raising funds from abroad.

While it is clear that foreign donations to political parties are not permitted, the Government recognises the risk posed by malign actors who seek to interfere with and undermine our democratic processes. As pledged in our manifesto, we are strengthening the rules around donations to political parties. We have published our ‘Strategy for Modern and Secure Elections’ which sets out a number of reforms we are making to strengthen rules on political donations, responding to the threat of foreign interference. These include “Know Your Donor” requirements for recipients of donations and tighter controls on unincorporated association donations. We are also tightening the rules to ensure greater scrutiny of the origin and nature of political donations. Donors will be required to declare any benefits or sources of funding associated with their donation. In addition, companies making donations will be required to demonstrate a genuine and substantive connection to the UK or Ireland, preventing the use of shell companies to channel foreign or illicit money into UK politics.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the report by the Manifesto Club entitled Gatekeepers: How councils are controlling access to the public square, published in October 2025.

The provision and administration of street trading and highways licences are the responsibility of Local Authorities under either the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 or the London Local Authorities Act 1990, depending on their location.

Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the letter sent to the Rule 6 participants on 16 October 2025 announcing the delay in the target date for the Chinese Embassy decision.

We do not routinely publish correspondence to parties on live cases. Letters to the Rule 6 participants will be listed in the final decision letter, and will be available on request when the decision is published.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the reasons for which some people put flags on lampposts in the summer.

At this time, no assessment has been made. My department is co-ordinating cross-Government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion - working in partnership with local government, communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address the deep-seated issues. Where the subject has been raised, we have been clear that everyone can make their own decisions, including local councils, on flying flags and that guidance exists to support them, such as ‘Flying flags: a plain English guide” - as set out in the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007 (as amended in 2012 and 2021) – which outlines the regulations related to the flying of flags in England.

With reference to the Answer of 26 September 2025 to Question HL9585 on Deputy Prime Minister: Admiralty House, when it was registered as a second home.

As the property was a second residence, the Government was responsible for paying the Council Tax on Admiralty House, not the former Deputy Prime Minister - in line with long-standing precedent under successive governments.As has been the case under successive administrations, the Government Property Agency is responsible for liaising with Westminster City Council for matters concerning residency at Admiralty House.Following the introduction of the second homes premium, this has been paid in full in a one-off full payment in July 2025. This payment was made on the date the invoice was received from Westminster City Council.

Communities and Local Government, how many hereditaments claimed Retail, Hospitality and Leisure rate relief in each local authority in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.

Data on the number of hereditaments that claimed Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief are collected annually as part of National Non-Domestic Rates collected by councils in England. The latest data available is for 31 December 2024 collected via the 2025-26 data collection. They are published as supplementary tables.Data as at 31 December 2023 can be found herehttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/663b98e474933dccbbb6c431/NNDR1_2024-25_Supplementary_table.xlsx Data as at 31 December 2024 can be found herehttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d2c9c4814acba3755e97c1/NNDR1_2025-26_Supplementary_table__ecomms_.xlsx.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2025 to Question 69291 on Members: Correspondence, if he will (a) assign the correspondence letter to an incumbent Minister and (b) provide a substantive reply.

The former Deputy Prime Minister is no longer in post. The questions raised in the hon. Member’s correspondence have already been addressed via parliamentary questions from the hon. Member and his colleagues. I specifically refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 52866 on 27 May 2025, 74185 on 2 September 2025, 84951 on 10 November 2025, 85494 on 5 November 2025, 85495 on 5 November 2025, 88674 on 17 November 2025, and HL10730 on 13 October 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2025, to Question 23786, on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, if he will publish the (a) minutes and (b) meeting notes for the meetings attended by FCDO officials 4 July 2024.

It is for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to decide what documentation to publish as part of that process.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 76822 on Jeffrey Epstein, what records Integrated Corporate Services holds of correspondence (a) to and (b) from Lord Mandelson relating to Sempra Commodities between 2009 and 2010.

Any such information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Electoral Commission has issued to local authorities on the provision to political parties of the expiry dates of postal voting mandates for individual electors with postal votes.

Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are required by law to identify postal voters whose absent voting arrangements will expire on 31 January each year. These voters must be notified directly by the ERO that their current arrangement is ending and that they will need to submit a new postal vote application if they wish to continue voting by post.While political parties are entitled to receive absent voting lists, the expiry date of a postal vote does not form part of the absent voting record. As such, there is no provision for EROs to share this information.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what discussions the Electoral Commission has had with the Government on the use of pilot voting schemes in the May 2026 local elections in England.

The Electoral Commission has had discussions with Government on its proposals for pilot voting schemes at the May 2026 local elections in England.The Commission’s research shows people in the UK are generally happy with the current ways of voting in person at elections. But it is important to look at how to keep improving elections, to meet the changing needs of voters and to make sure voting is as convenient and accessible as possible.The Commission will support local authorities taking part in the pilots as needed, and work to ensure voters are aware of the voting options available to them. It also has a statutory duty to independently evaluate and report on the May 2026 pilot schemes.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what guidance her Department has issued on recognising premises as a diplomatic mission of a foreign government.

The process of applying for Diplomatic and Consular Status for Official Mission Premises is set out in Section 1(1) of the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1987/46). Diplomatic missions are required to obtain the consent of the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs for land to be regarded as diplomatic or consular premises.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Election Commission has issued to Electoral Registration Officers on the declarations that a potential elector must make to enter onto the electoral roll.

The Electoral Commission has issued guidance on the declarations required to Electoral Registration Officers. All electors must make a declaration that the contents of their application to register are true. This can include a declaration of local connection, if a person does not have a fixed or permanent address.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 74189 on Chinese Embassy, if he will publish (a) that reply and (b) any subsequent correspondence.

It is for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to decide what documentation to publish as part of that process.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the security of the ballot for early voting pilot schemes.

The Electoral Commission evaluated a small number of early voting pilots in Wales as part of the local council elections in May 2022. There are several potential integrity challenges presented by managing voting over multiple days. These include, ensuring ballot box security overnight and managing the risk of double voting risk.During the pilots, the Electoral Commission found that Returning Officers and their teams managed risks well, working alongside the police. No concerns were raised with the Returning Officers in relation to the integrity of the polls in the pilot areas by the police or by political parties and candidates.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 76017 on Electoral Register, whether the Electoral Commission has issued guidance to Electoral Registration Officers on whether a voter can meet the residency requirements by having a permanent residence in three different dwellings in three different local authority areas.

The Electoral Commission's guidance for Electoral Registration Officer’s (EROs) sets out that someone may be eligible to register and to vote at more than one address if the ERO finds they meet the residency requirements, alongside the other usual registration conditions. When considering an application to register a person at a secondary address the ERO should take into account why the voter is present at that address, to establish if they may be deemed resident there. Each case should be considered on its own merits.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what estimate the Electoral Commission has made of the number of spoilt votes under the supplementary vote electoral system.

The last set of elections held under the supplementary vote electoral system were the local government and PCC elections in May 2021. The percentage of rejected ballot papers at those elections was higher than at elections using first past the post in the same year: 0.8% for the local government elections compared to 2.7% for the PCC and 4.3% for Mayor of London.The Commission’s report following the elections noted that the number of rejected ballot papers for the Mayor of London election was notably higher than it had been at previous elections. The most significant difference compared to previous elections was the record 20 candidates which had led to a new two-column ballot paper design to accommodate electronic counting requirements. The report emphasised that clear and effective ballot paper design is essential to help voters cast their votes correctly. It recommended that alternative ballot paper designs should be tested in advance of future elections.