Written questions by Hollinrake.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the document entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, what consultancy services were commissioned from UBDS IT Consulting Limited.

MHCLG’s March 2025 listing of spending over £25,000 include three entries for UBDS. This spend relates to the provision of specific technical services to deliver a range of improvements to the Department’s data tools and technologies. They are augmenting internal teams.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the document entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, what consultancy services were commissioned from CFE Research and Consulting Ltd.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government appointed a consortium of organisations, led by CFE Research and including Cordis Bright, Revolving Doors, and the Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research (SCHARR) at The University of Sheffield, to undertake an independent evaluation of the Changing Futures programme. The spend in March was for research and evaluation activity for this programme evaluation. The Changing Futures programme is an initiative between the UK Government and The National Lottery Community Fund, running from 2021 to 2026. All evaluation publications to date are available at: Evaluation of the Changing Futures programme - GOV.UK.

What (a) internal and (b) external Prevent guidance her Department has drafted on cultural nationalism; and what her Department’s definition is of cultural nationalism.

The current Prevent duty guidance, including reference to cultural nationalism, was last revised under the previous Government on 6 March 2024, and is available at: Prevent duty guidance: Guidance for specified authorities in England and Wales

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 May 2025 to Question 52864 on Admiralty House, on what date the last assessment of market rent of the building was undertaken.

I refer the Hon Member to my answer of 27 May 2025, Official Report, PQ 52864.

What guidance she has issued to local authorities on Anti-Money Laundering checks in relation to (a) working with and (b) loaning funds to developers.

Guidance for local authorities on investments is available here: Guidance_on_local_government_investments.pdf It is for local authorities to determine their own capital strategies as they are best placed to understand local needs and are accountable to the local electorate. In doing so, local authorities have a duty to comply with the Prudential Framework and must have regard to statutory guidance to ensure plans are prudent, affordable, and sustainable. Property developers are in scope of the Money Laundering Regulations if they act as estate agents (i.e. they sell their properties through a separate legal entity) or provide relevant financial services and products. Guidance on how such firms should comply with the Regulations is published online by Anti-Money Laundering supervisors, including His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Financial Conduct Authority. The HMRC guidance on estate agents can be found here: Estate and letting agency business guidance for money laundering supervision - GOV.UK

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 May 2025 to Question 52864 on Admiralty House, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of repurposing the two unoccupied flats in Admiralty House.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office of 27 May 2025, Official Report, PQ 43478.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with the Mayor of London on whether funding for green belt reviews will be used to review the use of Metropolitan Open Land.

The government has awarded the Greater London Authority £770,000 to undertake a Green Belt review in conjunction with 11 London boroughs. A further six London boroughs have also each received £70,000 to undertake Green Belt reviews. The precise use of this funding is at the discretion of the recipient authority.Metropolitan Open Land is a local designation used by the Mayor of London in his London Plan. Policy relating to the designation, as well as the current extent of Metropolitan Open Land, is entirely a matter for the Mayor.

Whether she had discussions with the Chinese Government on the proposed Chinese Embassy at the Royal Mint (a) at the 11th round of China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue and (b) on any other occasion.

The Chancellor has engaged with the Chinese Government on a number of occasions, including during her visit to China for the 2025 UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue, and has discussed a range of economic and financial issues. The Chancellor published a written ministerial statement about her visit to China on the morning of Monday 13 January (found here) and delivered an oral statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday 14 January (found here).On 10 June, the Planning Inspector responsible for the Planning Inquiry into China’s application to build a new embassy at Royal Mint Court submitted her report to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. A target decision date of 9 September has been set. As this case will come before ministers in MHCLG for determination, it would not be appropriate to comment further.

With reference to the press notice entitled New steering group to champion disabled people in elected office, published on 9 June 2025, how the members of the working group from political parties were selected; and whether political parties were consulted in the selection process.

It is this government’s ambition to see more disabled people in public office. We have been clear that we will champion disabled people’s rights and work closely with them so that disabled people’s views and voices are at the heart of decision-making.On 9 June we announced a new Access to Elected Office Steering Group to support the development of a new fund to help with the disability-related expenses of gaining elected office. Drawing on their lived experience and expertise of disability, accessing funding or standing for elected office, members will work with the Minister for Social Security and Disability to ensure the fund is effective in increasing disability representation in future elections.Members for the steering group were chosen based on their experience as disabled candidates, their expertise and advocacy work in disability inclusion, and their lived experience with disability. Political parties were not consulted during this process. Affiliation to political parties was not a criterion for selection of individuals, though efforts were made to ensure cross-party representation.This approach was adopted to maintain focus on the core objective of the steering group - improving access to elected office for disabled people.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2025 to Question 53973 on Defending Democracy Taskforce, if she will publish the assessment on Transnational Repression in the UK.

Owing to the classified nature of the findings, the Transnational Repression Review will not be a publicly available document.My Written Ministerial Statement on 14 May provides an overview of the Review’s key findings and recommendations.

What services are provided to the Deputy Prime Minister without charge in relation to her official residence.

The Deputy Prime Minister’s flat does not receive any dedicated services without charge. Costs are discharged in the usual way as has been the case for successive governments.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question HL7763 on Asylum: Housing, what the absolute number of individual hotels that housed the 32,345 people is as of 31 March 2025; and what was the equivalent number of hotels used in June 2024.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 31 March to Question 41380.

How much (a) her Department and (b) its contractors have spent on the capital purchase of mobile and caravan homes for asylum seekers since July 2024.

Zero.

How much (a) her Department and (b) its contractors have spent on the rent or lease of (i) caravan and mobile homes and (ii) park homes for housing asylum seekers since July 2024.

Zero.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question HL7763 on Asylum: Housing, whether such hotel figures include housing in former communal accommodation.

The definition of each type of category can be found in the notes section of the published statistics.

Communities and Local Government, what status local designations have under the National Planning Policy Framework.

Locally designated sites have no special status within the National Planning Policy Framework. However, under the Framework local plans are expected to identify, map and safeguard locally designated sites of importance for biodiversity, including Local Wildlife Sites. As a result, locally designated sites will be considered by local planning authorities when assessing proposals for development.

How many state sixth form places are available within (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 15 miles of Escrick.

School level data on state-funded schools with capacity in any of the year groups from reception to year 11 is published in the annual ‘School capacity’ statistical publication. The most recent publication is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity/2023-24. This publication contains the latest available data as at 1 May 2024.School level data on secondary school capacity and unfilled places can be found in the ‘capacity_school_200910-202324.csv’ data file. Data on secondary school capacity and unfilled places is inclusive of sixth form places. School level data on sixth form places and sixth form pupils is published in the ‘sixth-form-capacity_school_201718-202324.csv’.The ‘School capacity’ data can be combined with information from ‘Get Information about Schools’, which has the functionality to download data on the schools and colleges within the stated distances from Escrick.The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2025 to Question 50172 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Trade Union Officials, whether her Department has made an assessment of the value for money of providing trade union facility time in local government since 2013.

Local authorities are independent employers and MHCLG does not make an assessment of the value for money of providing trade union facility time in local government. As public sector organisations, councils are required to publish data relating to the use of facility time in their organisation.

Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for making a decision on local government restructuring in Essex; when she plans to hold a formal consultation process on the number of new unitary councils to be created; when she plans to publish the proposed council (a) wards and (b) divisions for the new unitary councils; and whether the date of election for the new unitary councils will be in the (i) same year or (ii) different year from the election to the combined authority mayor for Greater Essex.

On 5 February 2025 councils in Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock were invited to submit proposals for unitary local government by 26 September 2025. Once a proposal has been submitted it will be for the government to decide on taking a proposal forward and to consult as required by statute. The exact timings and detail will depend on the proposals received and the decision taken on which proposal, if any, to implement. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance and the available evidence.The government's consultation on Devolution Priority Programme areas closed on 13 April. We are now carefully considering the evidence collected to decide whether to establish mayoral institutions in each of the areas, including Greater Essex. It is expected that elections to new unitary authorities in Devolution Priority Programme areas undergoing local government reorganisation will take place in May 2027, with those new unitary authorities going live in April 2028. Legislation implementing a proposal for unitarisation will include provision for warding or divisional arrangements for the inaugural council elections.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2025 to Question 53973 on Defending Democracy Taskforce, if she will provide a copy of the Defending Democracy Taskforce's assessment of transnational repression to the Planning Inspector considering the planning application for the proposed site for the new Chinese embassy.

The planning application has been called in by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and she will make this quasi-judicial decision independent from the rest of Government.The Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary submitted written representations to the planning inspector on 14 January 2025. That letter is clear that the Home Office has considered the breadth of national security issues and where necessary, relevant agencies and departments have been consulted on the national security implications of the application.