Written questions by Hollinrake.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's transparency data, MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025 published on 28 April 2025, what was the full specification of the research undertaken by the Faith & Belief Forum on on inter faith.

The Department provided funding to the Faith & Belief Forum to lead a national consultation and analysis exercise on Inter Faith Week 2024 and the wider inter faith landscape, to inform the development of future policy and delivery. I will arrange for the full research specification to be deposited in the House of Commons Library.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's publication entitled MHCLG: workforce management information, May 2025, published on 27 June 2025, what the total cost of employer National Insurance contributions was in (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25; and what the budgeted figure is for 2025-26.

With reference to the published workforce management information, Employers’ National Insurance costs for the Department are published monthly and reports covering 2023/24 and 2024/25 can be found here: MHCLG: workforce management information - GOV.UK With regards to 2025/26, employer National Insurance costs are not separately budgeted for per financial year, as these form part of wider staffing budget assumptions. However, we estimate that the Department’s liability for employer National Insurance contributions will be approximately £26 million. Estimates for this period can vary, as pay awards for MHCLG staff for 2025/26 have not yet been confirmed. The final cost will be influenced by the outcome of these pay awards, as well as any in-year workforce changes.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60934 on Council Tax: Tax Yields, what the monetary amount of the estimated receipts from council tax in England only is in each year of the Spending Review period that provides the base for the core spending power budget line in the Spending Review 2025.

This Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This includes £3.4 billion of grant funding that will be delivered through the Local Government Finance Settlement within financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29. There will be an average overall real terms increase in local authority core spending power (which includes council tax, locally retained business rates and government grant) of 2.6% per year over the next multi-year settlement (2026-27 to 2028-29). This is set out in Table B.2 of the 2025 Spending Review. The assumed referendum principles of a 3% core principle and a 2% adult social care precept are in line with the previous government’s policy and OBR forecast. The Department will publish updated estimates as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) 2026-27, in the usual way, including the specific core spending power figures for each local authority. It is for individual councils to set their own level of council tax.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 25 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published on 24 June 2025, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve safeguards to prevent (a) people and (b) companies acting as proxies for foreign donations.

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, tighter controls on company and unincorporated association donations, and enhanced transparency requirements for all donors to political parties. The reforms aim to close loopholes and enhance due diligence, while preserving the ability of genuine donors to support democracy.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Islamophobia Working Group definition, whether the policy intention is that the definition will be adopted by (a) the police, (b) schools, (c) universities, (d) the Crown Prosecution Service and (e) councils.

The Working Group is an independent, non-statutory body which will provide advice to ministers on a definition of anti-Muslim hatred/islamophobia. Ministers will consider the advice that the independent working group provides.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 60843 on Civil Service: Equality, for what reason the external spending on Diversify World Ltd was not listed in Civil Service 2024/2025 External Expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, published on 30 May 2025.

The external spending on Diversify World Ltd is listed as Black History Month events here.

Communities and Local Government, what expenditure the Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred has undertaken in relation to external (a) research, (b) engagement and (c) contractors.

Per the Terms of Reference for the Working Group, the Working Group is supported by a secretariat based within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and group members are able to claim expenses for travel and/or costs incurred whilst carrying out their role. No other costs have been incurred.

Communities and Local Government, which local authorities have notified her Department since July 2024 that they intend to (a) introduce and (b) extend selective licensing schemes on private rented sector (PRS) dwellings; and if she will publish (i) the location of each scheme, (ii) the (A) number and (B) percentage of PRS properties as a proportion of total housing stock within the designation, (iii) the proportion of each local authority’s PRS stock which will be covered by licensing once the scheme is in place, (iv) the criteria under which each designation has been made, (v) the levels of relevant licensing fees and (f) the total value of licensing fees for each local authority.

There is no requirement for local authorities to notify the Department of their intention to introduce or extend selective licensing schemes. The General Approval issued in December 2024, removed the requirement for the Secretary of State to approve schemes covering more than 20% of a local authority’s private rented properties or geographical area. We expect local authorities to make information regarding their scheme readily available.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 60843 on Civil Service: Equality, whether the diversity trainers have provided guidance or training in relation to the Supreme Court judgment in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

The diversity trainers set out in the answer of 26 June 2025 to Question UIN 60843 on Civil Service equality did not provide guidance or training in relation to the Supreme Court judgment in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the written statement of 18 June 2025 on National Housing Bank and new capital grant funding, HCWS712, over what period the £5 billion of new capital grant funding applies; and how much equivalent funding was provided in the last Parliament.

The government will launch the National Housing Delivery Fund in 2026/27. Its c.£5bn of capital grant funding will be available across the four financial years from 2026/27 to 2029/30. In the last Spending Review period (2022/23 to 2024/25), the previous government delivered grant funding for infrastructure and land across the Home Building Fund , Brownfield Housing Fund, Brownfield Infrastructure and Land Fund, Housing Infrastructure Fund, Land Assembly Programme, Single Land Programme, City Deals, Brownfield Land Release Fund, Bristol Temple Quarter and Ancoats, Estate Regeneration and Ebbsfleet. In total these programmes spent £2.935bn across that Spending Review period.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2025 to Question 60935 on Affordable Housing: Finance, what is the monetary value of (a) resource and (b) capital funding for the 2026-2036 Affordable Homes Programme in each year of the 10 year programme.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 62129 on 14 July 2024.

Communities and Local Government, what the evidential basis is that the affordable housing programme will deliver the largest increase in affordable homes in a generation.

The £39 billion announced at the Spending Review for the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme for 2026-27 to 2035-36 is the biggest long-term investment in social and affordable housing in recent memory. Our ambition is to deliver up around 300,000 social and affordable homes over the programme’s lifetime. If we achieve this ambition and our target of at least 60% of the homes being for Social Rent, the new programme will deliver around 180,000 homes for Social Rent – approximately a sixfold increase on the number of grant-funded Social Rent homes delivered in the decade up to 2024.

Communities and Local Government, what representations her Department received from the Local Government Association on housing asylum seekers in in the context of (a) the Spending Review 2025 and (b) the Affordable Homes Programme.

The department engages closely on asylum and resettlement matters with the Local Government Association (LGA) alongside the Home Office. This includes a quarterly ministerial and local government forum with both MHCLG and Home Office ministers, and regular working level meetings. MHCLG and Home Office ministers also recently attended the LGA’s annual conference to discuss asylum and resettlement.The government is committed to working with local government to test-locally led models and ending the reliance on hotel use for asylum accommodation. We will continue to engage closely with the Home Office and the LGA as this work progresses.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2025 to Question 60132 on Affordable Housing: Finance, and with reference to her Department's publication Delivering a decade of renewal for social affordable housing published on 2 July 2025, what her policy is on the 2026-2036 Social and Affordable Homes Programme being used to help purchase Section 106 affordable units from housing developers; and what the policy was in the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme.

The government’s new Social and Affordable Homes Programme for 2026/27 to 2035/36, like the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme, will support the delivery of social and affordable homes additional to those that developers have committed to delivering through Section 106 agreement. We have no plans to change these arrangements.

Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for the (a) completion of the remaining stages and (b) implementation of the provisions of the Renters Rights Bill.

The Renters’ Rights Bill is currently progressing through the House of Lords. Report stage concluded on 15 July. Third Reading is scheduled for 21 July and the dates for the remaining stages of the Bill will be announced in due course. Upon the commencement date, the new tenancy system provided for by the Bill will apply to all private tenancies - existing tenancies will become periodic, and any new tenancies will be governed by the new rules. We will provide sufficient notice and will work closely with tenants groups and the landlord and lettings sector ahead of implementation.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 51399 on Embassies: China, whether (a) MI5, (b) GCHQ or (c) MI6 have made any direct representations to (i) the planning inspector and (ii) her Department on the proposed Chinese Embassy.

Representations on planning applications are dealt with in accordance with paragraphs 18, 19 and 20 of the published propriety guidance on planning casework decisions which can be found on gov.uk here All Inquiry documents including representations to the Inquiry are publicly available on Tower Hamlets website here.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the publication MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, if she will publish the full specification of the research commissioned from TPXimpact Limited on Research Services.

The spend relates to the build of new technical capability (MS Azure cloud platform) for data science, engineering & analytics work.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the publication MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, if she will publish the full specification of the research commissioned from the Young Foundation on Research Services.

The requirement for the research commissioned from the Young Foundation will be published alongside the final research report in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question HL8019 on Admiralty House: Council tax, what the cash terms monetary value of the council tax bill issued on each of the three residences was in 2025-26.

All information relating to the value of council tax bills for Westminster are published on Westminster City Council’s Website at https://www.westminster.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-bands-and-charges.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2025 to Question 59784 on MHCLG: Research, if she will publish the specification of the research commissioned from the Department for Education on 19 March 2025 costing £57,600, published in the March 2025 transparency data.

MHCLG commissioned Policy Lab to conduct a series of workshops with the Digital Planning Programme, on supporting the growth of the Property Technology market and exploring the barriers to greater adoption. The write up of these workshops is informing current policy development but contains information that is commercially sensitive. We will take a decision on publication after that process once the commercially sensitive information has been reviewed.