Every parliamentary written question tabled by Kevin Hollinrake this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1,661–1,680 of 2,926 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to conduct a review of compliance costs from building regulations.
All costs associated with updates to the building regulations are considered prior to publication. Full impact assessments including economic, environmental and equalities considerations, are published alongside amendments to the Building Regulations.
Communities and Local Government, what guidance she has issued on whether not collecting refuse waste could lead to a best value intervention at a local authority.
All local authorities are under a statutory duty to comply with Best Value and must make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way their functions are exercised, as outlined in the existing statutory guidance on Best Value standards and intervention. Where there are concerns about a local authority's compliance with this duty, the Secretary of State may consider a range of evidence before deciding whether to intervene. No specific, separate guidance on whether the collection of refuse waste could lead to a best value intervention has been issued.
Whether he plans to provide additional resources to Birmingham City Council to help support public health.
Birmingham City Council’s Public Health Grant for 2025/26 will be £109,102,134. This is an increase of 5.9% relative to 2024/25, and equates to £92.98 per capita against a per capita average across all English upper tier local authorities of £66.64.Birmingham will also receive targeted investment in 2025/26 of £1,647,900 to improve its Start for Life offer, £1,596,854 to support stop smoking services, and £11,741,333 to support drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. Future funding decisions will be subject to the upcoming Spending Review.The Government continues to support Birmingham City Council’s recovery, and action to protect and improve public health.
Communities and Local Government, how many special advisers are employed by her Department.
The Deputy Prime Minister has appointed six Special Advisers to the department.
If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on the ability of councils to provide (a) regular refuse collections and (b) other core services.
The delivery of the Plan to Make Work Pay is a manifesto commitment. We will be engaging closely with local authorities as the policy develops and further detail on funding models will be provided in due course. We will consult extensively on the implementation of the legislation to ensure it works for workers and employers alike.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2025 to Question 25780 on Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners: Elections, whether existing Police and Crime Commissioners will serve their full term where the police functions are given to new combined authority mayors.
As outlined in my previous response, the timing of the transfer of Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner functions to new mayors established through the Devolution Priority Programme will be determined in due course.
Communities and Local Government, whether she has issued guidance to local authorities on making (a) licensing, (b) planning and (c) gambling decisions during local election periods.
Local authorities are required to consider the Recommended Code of Practice for Local Authority Publicity (‘the Code’) in coming to any decision on any communication, in whatever form, addressed to the public or a section of the public. A Code principle is that publicity be issued with care during periods of heightened sensitivity, such as in the pre-election period.The pre-election period of heightened sensitivity does not prevent a local authority from carrying out routine business.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2025 to Question 38374 on Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill, whether her Department has a policy on (a) grant recipients of funding and (b) local authorities (i) boycotting and (ii) divesting in (A) investments and (B) contracts with (1) Israel and (2) firms which trade with Israel.
The UK government is committed to promoting our trade and business ties with Israel and strongly opposes boycotts. The government has published guidance to public authorities prohibiting procurement boycotts against Israeli firms or firms which trade with Israel.
Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to allow (a) councils, (b) Natural England and (c) development corporations to have enhanced Compulsory Purchase Powers for the mandatory purchase of residential dwellings.
Local authorities and development corporations already have various powers to compulsorily acquire property for the purposes of supporting their functions. Natural England also has powers to compulsorily acquire land to establish and maintain nature reserves. The government is reforming the compulsory purchase process and compensation rules via the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to enable more effective land assembly through public sector-led schemes. A more streamlined and efficient process will also enable authorities to make greater use of their compulsory purchase powers, with associated cost savings realised through faster acquisition decisions.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2025 to Question 25780 on Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners: Elections, what her planned timetable is for the alignment of the Police Force and Police and Crime Commissioner areas with mayoral combined authority areas.
As outlined in my previous response, the timing of the transfer of Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner functions to new mayors established through the Devolution Priority Programme will be determined in due course.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39016 on Nature Restoration Fund, whether planning permission can be refused if a self-build developer declines to pay the voluntary levy.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 39016 on 26 March 2025.
Communities and Local Government, whether she has a planned timetable for the alignment of administrative NHS boundaries with mayoral combined authority boundaries.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN HL5657 on 24 March 2025.
Communities and Local Government, what discussions the Best Value Commissioners in Birmingham City Council have had with (a) council officers and (b) the Unite trade union on bin collection industrial action.
Commissioners, who have been appointed to oversee Birmingham City Council’s improvement journey, continue to work constructively with the Council and encourage opportunities to resolve the ongoing waste dispute in a sustainable, meaningful way. There are ongoing and regular discussions. Commissioners are not directly involved in negotiations between the Council and Unite.
Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional funding to Birmingham City Council for pest control services.
The government is working closely with Birmingham and continues to monitor the disruption caused by the bin strikes and the associated public health risks to the residents of the city. The council continues to manage local service delivery and has put in place measures to deal with the accumulated street backlog which has developed, and is supported by mutual aid from neighbouring authorities. The council has also taken measures to deal with pests including setting baiting stations in key waste hotspot areas, and are considering further measures to support households. The department continues to play its part in supporting the council where necessary and cross government mechanisms have been activated to ensure a coordinated response.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Electoral Commission has provided on whether a linked donation which a Parliamentary candidate benefits from but given to a national political party during the 2024 general election short campaign, must be declared in the candidate’s Representation of the People Act return.
The Electoral Commission publishes guidance for candidates and agents on donations that are held on a candidate's behalf by a party, such as in a local party fighting fund. How a donation must be reported depends on the intention of the donor and who controls the donation once received.If a donation is held by the party but made with the intention that the candidate benefits and is made available to the candidate, it must be declared in the candidate's spending return.If there is no intention to donate to the candidate, or the donation is received and controlled by the party, this is likely to be a party donation. If the party then uses the donation to benefit the candidate, the candidate may need to report a seperate donation from the party.
Pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 41063 on Low Alcohol Drinks: Labelling and Marketing, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of amending labelling regulations on pubs.
While the Government has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of amending labelling regulations on no or low alcohol products in pubs, work continues across the Government to better understand how we can reduce alcohol-related harms by exploring potential opportunities, including changes to alcohol labelling.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the entry for Casas Y Palacios in the publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £500, January 2025, updated on 27 February 2025, what event she attended.
Details of international Ministerial travel are published on a quarterly basis on Gov.uk.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 39867 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, if she will publish all expenditure on those cards since 4 July 2024.
In line with Cabinet Office guidance MHCLG publishes details of all spending over £500 using an electronic purchasing card solution (ePCS) on a monthly basis.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of reductions to the collection of household rubbish on the prevalence of (a) vermin, (b) odours and (c) insects.
Defra has not produced a specific impact assessment regarding service frequency for residual waste collections. Modelling for this would be subjective to the circumstances of each individual local authority. Through Simpler Recycling, all householders will receive a comprehensive and consistent set of waste and recycling services. This will enable householders to recycle as much waste as possible and to frequently dispose of bad-smelling food waste, which will be collected from all households at least weekly. Defra recognises that as recycling services are expanded and improved, local authorities may want to review residual waste services to ensure they are providing best value for money in line with local need. The government’s priority is ensuring that households’ needs are met, and we expect local authorities to continue to provide services to a reasonable standard, as they do now. Building on existing and new legal duties, Defra has published guidance to ensure that local authorities consider certain factors when they review services, to ensure that reasonable standards are maintained.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 39870 on Freeports: Finance, what the budgeted (a) capital and (b) resource funding is for freeports in 2025-26.
Departmental budgets for 2025-26 will not be formally confirmed until the Main Estimate has been approved by Parliament.