Written questions by Hollinrake.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question 63619 on Permitted Development Rights, which local authorities have issued Article 4 directions to remove the Class E change of use rights.

46 local authorities have issued Article 4 directions for part of their area to remove the permitted development right which enables buildings in the Class E Commercial, Business and Service use class to change to residential use. These are: City of LondonWestminsterKensington and ChelseaLambethWandsworthCamdenTower HamletsHackneyIslingtonWindsor and MaidenheadBromleyHillingdonKingston upon ThamesRichmondRedbridgeOld Oak CommonWaltham ForestGreenwichLewishamHammersmith and FulhamHounslowBexleyBroxbourneCrawleyManchesterNorwichMilton KeynesHarlowReadingLutonBrighton and HoveRushmoorHertsmereStevenageThree RiversSeftonDacorumWelwyn and HatfieldWaverleyNorth HertfordshireWatfordColchesterSouthwarkBrentTunbridge WellsBasingstoke and Deane

What assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of EPC requirements for commercial properties on trends in the level of empty office accommodation.

EPC Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards play an important role in reducing bills for businesses, making them more competitive and protecting them from future energy price shocks, as well as encouraging better working places for the health and wellbeing of its occupiers. The policy has a number of exemptions in place to mitigate against significant costs of compliance. Crucially, buildings will only need to reach the highest EPC band that a cost-effective package of measures can deliver, even if this means that they remain below the minimum standard. Consequently, the costs for building improvements are expected to make up a small proportion of typical commercial rents and are therefore unlikely to distort the office rental market on its own. We also expect commercial landlords in the office sector will continue to hold valuable assets and evidence suggests cost-effective energy efficiency improvements will help increase the value of those assets

Whether the new retail, hospitality and leisure multiplier from 2026-27 will be higher in (a) value and (b) scope than the 2025-26 RHL relief.

To deliver our manifesto pledge, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that RHL businesses benefit from much-needed certainty and support. Ahead of these new multipliers being introduced, we have prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business. Eligibility for the new RHL multipliers is intended to broadly reflect the scope of the existing RHL relief scheme, and will be set out in legislation later this year. The rates of the RHL multipliers will be set at Budget 2025 so that the Government can take into account the upcoming revaluation outcomes as well as the economic and fiscal context.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2025 to Question 64086 on Local Government: Cost Effectiveness, if he will publish the Local Government Association’s Corporate Peer Challenge.

The Corporate Peer Challenge report concerning the London Borough of Croydon has been published by the Local Government Association and the Council on their respective websites.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make it a requirement for all documents published by her Department to be written in plain English.

While there is no legal requirement for government documents to be published in plain English, the department always asks teams to use clear, understandable language in its publications.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2025 to Question 64086, on Local Government: Cost Effectiveness, what formal and informal representations have been received on escalating the intervention.

On 17 July, I announced my final decision, following consideration of representations received and all relevant information, to exercise powers of direction under section 15(5) and 15(6) of the Local Government Act 1999 and appointed Commissioners to ensure London Borough of Croydon’s compliance with the Best Value Duty. Details of the representations can be found in the Explanatory Memorandum to the Directions, copies of which were deposited in the House library and are also available on gov.uk.

Communities and Local Government, whether Articles 13 and 141 of the EU Treaty Articles have been assimilated into the English planning system.

Articles 13 and 14 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU have not been incorporated into the planning system in England.

Communities and Local Government, if she will place a copy in the Library of the House a copy of the letter of 11 November 2024 to Chief Executives of local authorities on out-of-area accommodation placements.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer to question UIN 14450 given on 20 November 2024.

If she will make it her policy to retain Small Business Rates Relief at its current level for the duration of this Parliament.

Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) is available to businesses with a single property with a rateable value (RV) below the threshold of £15,000. If a business expands to a second property, it retains SBRR on the first property for 12 months. Following that, the business is not eligible for SBRR unless additional properties have an RV below £2,899 and their total property portfolio has an RV below £20,000 (£28,000 in London). Currently, over a third of properties (more than 700,000) pay no business rates as they receive 100 per cent SBRR, with an additional c.60,000 benefiting from reduced bills as this relief tapers. The Government is committed to retaining SBRR, which is a permanent relief set down in legislation. As highlighted in the Transforming Business Rates Discussion Paper published at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government is interested in hearing stakeholders’ views on the extent to which the current system acts as a barrier to investment and specifically, whether the current eligibility criteria for SBRR impacts businesses' incentives to invest and expand into a second property.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2025 to Question 59356 on Political Parties: Finance, whether political parties can accept the donation in kind of research services from an organisation where that research is ultimately funded by foreign donors.

Political parties may only accept donations, including donations in kind of research services, from permissible sources. However, there are currently no restrictions on where donors themselves raise funds. The Commission has highlighted this weakness in the political finance regime, and recommended changes that would safeguard the system.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2025 to Question 64449 on Electoral Commission: Finance, what is the business case for increasing the budget of the Electoral Commission by over £20 million from 2027-28 to 2028-29.

The main driver is spend related to a UK General Election. The figures referenced in Question 64449 were shared with HM Treasury and our funding parliaments as an overall estimate for the Commission’s spending over the next five years, prior to the Commission’s Corporate Plan being approved by Parliament.Each year the Commission submits a Main Estimate for Parliamentary approval, and approval by the Scottish Parliament and Senedd, with a budget request for the forthcoming year. The Commission expects its spending to increase in the run up to the next UK parliamentary general election, which must be held by August 2029; it estimates an increase of £11.6 million from 2027-28 to 2028-29 to account for this general election spending.The key driver for these costs are the public awareness campaigns that give voters the information they need to participate with confidence, alongside additional staff for the general election period and election related research projects. The Commission has a duty to promote public awareness, including awareness of any new changes introduced by Government. Typically, most of this spending falls in the year prior to a general election, because of the scale of work and the preparation required.Given the exact timing of the next general election is uncertain, the Commission has built general increases into its planned spending, which can be adjusted as appropriate through the annual Main Estimate process.

Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the average increase in (a) town and (b) parish precepts in council areas that have undergone unitary restructuring.

The Department does not hold information specifically on the average increase in town and parish precepts in council areas that have undergone unitary restructuring. However, data on town and parish precept levels are published each year and can be accessed gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62406 on Social Rented Housing: Finance, whether targets have been set for the number of homes that will (a) started and (b) completed in each year of the programme.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 60128 on 4 July 2025.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Local Government Outcomes Framework published on 3 July 2025, what metrics will be used to measure (a) flood protection, (b) anti-social behaviour, (c) biodiversity and (d) social housing demand.

MHCLG’s call for feedback for the Local Government Outcomes Framework sets out our approach to developing the placeholder metrics in question gov.uk Local Government Outcomes Framework: Call for feedback.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 63629 on Civil Servants: Training, what was the definition of Islamophobia used in the anti-Islamophobia training for civil servants; and whether (a) handouts and (b) documentation was provided as part of the training events.

HM Treasury does not hold any materials used by the supplier for the event, including any definitions given. No handouts or documentation were provided as part of the events.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 63677 on Business Rates: Valuation, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in business rates on (a) the flexible workplace sector and (b) serviced offices as a result of the changes in valuation practices on such hereditaments; and how many such hereditaments have had their Rateable Values changed by the Valuation Office Agency.

The VOA must apply the law to the facts on a case-by-case basis. It does not hold data on business rates liabilities as billing and collection is the responsibility of local authorities.

With reference to the Public Health England guidance entitled Use of e-cigarettes in public places and workplaces, published in July 2016, whether it remains his policy to treat vaping differently from cigarette smoking when determining policies on (a) outdoor and (b) indoor consumption.

Our health advice is clear that whilst vapes can be an effective quit aid for adult smokers, children and adult non-smokers should never vape. The evidence on second-hand vaping is still developing and whilst the harm will be lower than smoking, the degree of harm is unlikely to be zero.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill gives the Government powers to make most public places and workplaces that are smoke-free also vape-free. Many places have already done this voluntarily. Exactly which settings should become vape-free will be a matter for secondary legislation and will be subject to a full consultation. For the future regulations, we are considering including indoor settings which are currently subject to existing smoke-free legislation, such as pubs and restaurants, and outdoor spaces where high numbers of children and young people are present, for example, children’s playgrounds and schools. We are not specifically looking at banning vaping at outdoor bus stops and we have not conducted any assessments on this at this current moment in time.We will follow the evidence and want to hear the views of the public, public health stakeholders, and businesses as part of our consultation.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Healthy food revolution to tackle obesity epidemic, published on 29 June 2025, whether he has had discussions with the hospitality sector on mandatory food reporting.

As we set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will take decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.Businesses, including in the restaurant sector, have told us that they need the Government to help create a level playing field to make healthier choices more commercially viable. We will continue to work closely with industry, including the hospitality sector, and the Food Strategy Advisory Board, and will set out next steps shortly.With measures like mandatory business targets, we are moving to a more strategic, outcomes-based approach focussing on reducing unhealthy food consumption whilst giving businesses freedom in how to achieve this.  This is consistent with our approach towards growth, while also helping us create a health service fit for the future through our Plan for Change.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question 54908 on Fast Food, whether sandwiches for consumption off the premises are deemed to be fast food.

In February 2025, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities published data on fast food outlets per 100,000 population. In this analysis, fast food was described as “food that is energy dense and available quickly, usually via a counter service, and for consumption on or off the premises”. This definition covers a range of outlets selling foods, including, but not limited to:burgers;pizza;kebabs;chicken;Indian takeaway;Chinese takeaway; andfish and chips.It is for local planning authorities, when receiving a planning application, to consider whether, given the type of food and service to be provided at the location proposed, they consider the outlet to be either a hot food takeaway or a fast food outlet.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 45 of Annex 10 of the Impact Assessment for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, whether the requirement for 374,000 net additions per year from 2027 is referring to 2026-27 or 2027-28.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 55284 on 10 June 2025.