Written questions by Hollinrake.

With reference to Table 5.8 of the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, how much of the spending line Memo: Police Core Spending is made up of (a) government grant and (b) council tax receipts in each year.

As set out in the Spending Review 2025 document, published 11 June 2025, the Phase 2 settlement provides an average 1.7% real terms increase per year in police spending power. Over the SR period, police spending power is projected to increase by an average 2.3% per year in real terms. Police core spending power includes projected spending from a mix of central government funding and local taxation through the police council tax precept. This 2.3% projection is therefore premised on the police being funded through increases to both. However, this remains subject to final decisions on precept levels and individual police and crime commissioner decisions. The government will set out spending plans for police forces in England and Wales, including the final precept level and core government funding, at the annual police funding settlement in the usual way.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 60129 on Local Government Finance, whether the LG DEL figures of (a) £15.0bn in 2025-26, (b) £15.4bn in 2026-27, (c) £15.6bn in 2027-28 and (d) £15.8bn in 2028-29 set out in Table 5.17 of CP1336 were used as the evidential basis for the core spending power calculations in the Spending Review 2025.

The Core Spending Power (CSP) figures in Table 5.17 of the Spending Review document do contain the uplift from the LG Resource DEL figures, although not all of LG DEL is distributed through CSP. However, the CSP figures also contain estimations for Council Tax revenue which reflect the referendum principles announced at the Spending Review. They also contain an adjustment reflecting the impact of MHCLG retaining grant funding from 2026-27 onwards that has been surrendered in previous years to offset the impacts of additional business rates retained in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, as outlined in footnote four of the table as well. There is £3.4 billion of new grant funding which will be delivered through the Local Government Finance Settlement within financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29, and individual local authority CSP figures will be confirmed at settlement in the usual way.

If she will make it her policy to exempt film studios from the business rates surcharge for hereditaments with a rateable value over £500,000.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced an intention to introduce a higher business rates multiplier on the most valuable properties – those with Rateable Values (RVs) of £500,000 and above – from April 2026 to fund permanently lower multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties.This permanent tax cut will ensure that RHL businesses benefit from much-needed certainty. The Government intends to fund this by introducing a higher multiplier on all properties with an RV of £500,000 and above – these represent less than one per cent of properties. The final details of the new higher multiplier will be set at Budget 2025.Eligible film studios in England benefit from 40 per cent business rates relief. Business rates bills are calculated by applying the relevant multiplier first, meaning film studios receive 40 per cent relief on their total liability.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has had recent discussions with the Charity Commission on the activities of (a) Dar Al-Hekma and (b) Abrar Islamic Foundation.

The Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth recently met with the Charity Commission to discuss a range of issues. The Charity Commission has live regulatory compliance cases open into the Abrar Islamic Foundation and the Dar Alhekma Trust and they will not hesitate to take regulatory action if necessary. Given the nature of the allegations, the Commission has also referred the serious allegations to the Metropolitan Police Service.As the independent regulator, the Charity Commission has a wide range of powers to tackle misconduct or mismanagement in charities. It acts robustly to tackle those who abuse charities. We keep the Charity Commission's powers under regular review and are actively considering whether further powers are required.

Communities and Local Government, whether county council elections which were postponed in May 2025 will take place in May 2026.

The government’s starting point is for all elections to go ahead unless there is strong justification. As set out to the House on 17 June, the government is now consulting on two proposals for unitary local government from councils in Surrey. If the Secretary of State decides to implement a proposal, secondary legislation, which will be subject to Parliamentary approval, will be required to abolish existing councils, establish new structures and make transitional arrangements. Those transitional arrangements, consistent with precedent, would include replacing scheduled local elections with elections for the new councils, which will operate initially as new unitary authorities. This follows standard practice during Local Government Reorganisation, as conducted by the last government in Northamptonshire in 2020 and in Cumbria and North Yorkshire in 2022.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60473 on Defending Democracy Taskforce, if she will publish a redacted version of the findings.

The Written Ministerial Statement I issued on 14 May provided a transparent and comprehensive overview of the Review’s key findings and recommendations, while protecting sensitive national security information which could be of use to our adversaries.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 61518 on MHCLG: Civil Servants, what is the FTE headcount number of a 10% reduction in the number of civil servants; and whether it will involve (a) compulsory and (b) voluntary redundancies.

The department is aiming to reduce the FTE headcount of its Civil Servant workforce from 3,790 as at March 2025 to 3,350 by March 2030. This will be achieved through utilising natural workforce turnover and the already publicised voluntary exit scheme for staff this year. There are no plans to implement either a compulsory or a voluntary redundancy programme to support this aim.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2025 to Question 60136 on Affordable Housing: Finance, excluding the affordable housing programme, what is the average annual real growth in capital expenditure from 2025-26 to 2029-30.

Excluding our new Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP), my Department’s capital expenditure will decrease by an average of 2% per year from 2025-26 to 2029-30. This is equivalent to keeping capital investment other than the SAHP flat in cash terms on average across the period.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 58059 on Street Trading: Licensing, what guidance he has given to local authorities on the use of Public Space Protection Orders to ban street stalls by political campaigners engaging in lawful free speech.

The statutory framework for PSPOs sets out clear conditions for their use.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 7.12 of her Department's publication, Local authority funding reform objectives and principles consultation: summary of responses published on 20 June 2025, whether she plans to set a higher council tax referendum threshold for councils with a Band D council tax below the notional council tax.

The government recognised in its response to the consultation a number of respondents had requested increased council tax flexibility to reflect funding reform. The Spending Review confirmed the government intends to maintain the 3% threshold with an additional 2% for the adult social care precept, in line with OBR forecasts. Final referendum principles will be confirmed at the local government finance settlement, subject to approval by the House of Commons, in the usual way.

Communities and Local Government, how many affordable homes were delivered in (a) 2013-24 and (b) 2023-24.

The number of affordable homes delivered in each year since 1991-92 is published in Live Table 1000 on gov.uk here.

What (a) funding and (b) guidance has been given to (i) private contractors and (ii) local authorities on providing free (A) TV licences and (B) driving licences to asylum seekers.

None.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her publication, Delivering a decade of renewal for social affordable housing, published on 2 July 2025, what estimate she has made of the number of additional affordable homes to be provided in each year under the 2026-2036 Affordable Housing Programme.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 60128.

Whether she has met with (a) Dominic Grieve and (b) the members of the Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia to discuss the working group and the definition of Islamophobia.

The work he refers to is being overseen by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 61622 on MHCLG: Translation Services, if she will list (a) the foreign languages and (b) the documents that were (i) translated and (ii) interpreted.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 67129 on 22 July 2025.The department does not hold a central list of documents that were translated and interpreted.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57663, on Water Charges: Social Tariffs, how social tariffs will be funded; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of social tariffs on the residential customer bills of people who are not on a social tariff.

Social Tariffs are voluntary schemes designed and administered by water companies to provide a discounted water bill to qualifying customers who are unable to pay their water bill in full. These schemes are permitted to be funded through cross subsidies from customers under Section 44 Flood and Water Management Act 2010. The Government is working with industry and Ofwat to keep the current support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country are supported and customer charges are fair and proportionate.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43478 on Admiralty House, if he will make it his policy to rent out the two empty flats in Admiralty House at a market rate.

This Government will take the same approach as the previous administration, as set out in my answer of 31 October 2024, Official Report, PQ 10703.

Communities and Local Government, whether she is considering providing metro mayors with powers to levy tourist taxes in their areas.

I have received representations on this issue from the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority and discuss funding matters with Mayors in the course of my work as the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution.The government has no plans to introduce a tourist tax, but keeps all taxes under review.

What plans the Prime Minister has to appoint an Envoy for the Nations and Regions.

There are currently no plans to appoint an Envoy for the Nations and Regions.

Communities and Local Government, what representations she has received from the Mayor of London on a tourist tax for London.

I have received representations on this issue from the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority and discuss funding matters with Mayors in the course of my work as the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution.The government has no plans to introduce a tourist tax, but keeps all taxes under review.