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 1,781–1,800 of 2,926 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has received representations from the RMT trade union on prioritising Transport for London staff members for social housing.
My Department has not received representations from the RMT trade union on prioritising Transport for London staff members for social housing.
Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to instruct the Local Government Boundary Commission to conduct a formal assessment of the new wards and boundaries of the new unitary authorities.
My department is working closely with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England to ensure that they are involved at the appropriate time to ensure fair electoral arrangements across the area of any new unitary local authorities.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of private rented sector reforms on the number of landlords requesting guarantors for new tenancies.
According to the latest English Private Landlord Survey, 21% of landlords required a guarantor for their most recent letting. The government recognises that blanket requirements for a guarantor could act as a barrier to renting for some tenants and expects landlords and agents to consider tenants’ individual circumstances when negotiating rental conditions. We are committed to monitoring the use of guarantors as part of our wider evaluation of the impact of our reforms on the private rented sector.
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued guidance on including local Electoral Returning Officers within the definition of local authorities for the Re-use of Public Sector Information.
The Government has not issued guidance on including Returning Officers or Electoral Registration Officers within the definition of local authorities for the Re-use of Public Sector Information. The Government has not made an assessment of the potential merits of including Returning Officers of Electoral Registration Officers on the list of public authorities subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The Electoral Commission provides guidance to Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers, and recommends that they disclose requested information where possible, provided the information is either already in the public domain or does not include personal data.
Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the amount (a) budgeted for and (b) spent on housing for (i) refugees and (ii) asylum seekers by each local authority in the 2024-25 financial year; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the 2025-26 financial year.
The department does not hold this information to the level of detail requested. The department releases data on local authority spend through the local authority revenue expenditure and financing statistics, in which RO3 line 49 accounts for social support services or interventions for registered asylum seekers, including: supported access to health, housing or education services;language/interpreter support;providing advice and information; andaccess to legal advice. Additionally, RO3 Line 18 and RO3 Line 26 both refer to children's social care, in relation to asylum seekers. The most recent data collected by the department regarding budgeted spending on refugees and asylum seekers by local government in England is from 2024-25 and can be found here. The relevant lines within the budget publication are: RA326 Children's social care – Asylum seekers; and RA349 Social support – Asylum seeker support. The department has not yet published data for the 2025/26 financial year. The first revenue outturn release for 2024/25 will be released in September 2025.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37225 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Equality, what the training provided by (a) Ernst and Young and (b) Inclusive Employers Ltd included; and whether that spending was approved (a) before or (b) after 14 May 2024.
a. Ernst and Young LLP: Disability Confident Line Manager training. Enabling managers to become more confident and knowledgeable in supporting disabled colleagues in the workplace. Spend for this training was most recently approved in October 2024.b. Inclusive Employers Ltd: Inclusion Allies Training. Providing CPD-accredited training to members of MHCLG’s Inclusion Allies network. Spend for this training was approved in October 2024.
For what reason the Mayoral Renewables Fund is operating on a bidding scheme basis; and whether the fund is ringfenced.
Great British Energy (GBE) will partner with Local Authorities, Mayoral Strategic Authorities, Devolved Governments and the community energy sector to help increase the rollout of renewable energy projects. The 2025/26 financial year is a transitional period as GBE is being established, during which the Department is supporting GBE to deliver a one-off scheme what will kick-start its relationship with the Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs). The £10 million fund will be for projects that focus on renewable power generation; all MSAs will receive funding as long as eligibility criteria are met. Beyond the transitional period, GBE will work with individual MSAs to determine the most effective investment partnerships in their areas.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release notice entitled £2 billion new investment to support biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, published on 25 March 2025, on what evidential basis that press notice states that the Government's investment in social and affordable housing is the biggest in a generation.
At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549).
Communities and Local Government, which non-civil service organisations second staff to her Department.
The organisations of current secondees in the department are: University of CambridgeHomes EnglandGreater Manchester Combined AuthorityThe Future of London Emerging Talent programme
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2025 to Question 37580 on Electoral Commission: Companies House, what discussions the Electoral Commission has had with Government departments on the (a) commencement and (b) implementation of data-sharing powers in relation to Companies House since the passage of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023; and whether the implementation of such powers for the Electoral Commission is dependent on (i) further commencement and (ii) secondary legislation.
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 introduced changes which enable Companies House to disclose information with any person for the purpose of exercising its functions. Companies House can also share information with any public authority for the purpose of exercising the functions of that public authority. Information can be shared with the Electoral Commission for such purposes. No further secondary legislation is required to commence these data-sharing powers.
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department holds data on parish precepts levied by (a) town and (b) parish councils.
The Ministry publishes detailed statistics on the precepts set by town and parish councils each year. The 2024-25 statistics are available at this address: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-council-tax.The 2025-26 statistics are provisionally scheduled to be published on 7 May 2025. The overall average parish council precept increase for 2025-26 is 7.4% and all statistics related to the parish precept are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/council-tax-levels-set-by-local-authorities-in-england-2025-to-2026/council-tax-levels-set-by-local-authorities-in-england-2025-to-2026#parishes-and-other-local-precepting-authorities-in-england.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 37218 on Byelaws, whether her Department has provided guidance on the application of byelaws which would ban (a) smoking and (b) vaping (i) in parks, (ii) on a highway, (iii) within the curtilage of a licensed premises’ pavement licence and (iv) in a pub garden.
Government provides guidance on the byelaw making process for local authorities. The department has not provided specific guidance on the application of byelaws which would ban (a) smoking and (b) vaping (i) in parks, (ii) on a highway, (iii) within the curtilage of a licensed premises’ pavement licence and (iv) in a pub garden.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37220 on Admiralty House, what logistical support was provided.
Professional removal and cleaning services were hired and paid for personally by the Deputy Prime Minister and at no cost to the Department. As the Deputy Prime Minister was moving to an official residence, some logistical support was provided. The residence is managed and run by civil servants who were involved in arranging the move in the usual way.
Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2025 to Question 37074 on Low Alcohol Drinks, if he will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential merits of amending the marketing and labelling rules for the alcohol-free drinks to increase it from 0.05% to 0.5% ABV.
The Government is committed to prioritising preventative public health measures to support people to live longer, healthier lives. While the Government has not made a specific assessment of changing the alcohol-free threshold, both Defra and DHSC will continue to work together to understand the opportunities presented by alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks. This will support the government’s Growth and Health missions by both encouraging growth in the alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks sector and also as a potential way to address alcohol related harms.
Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to re-introduce pensions for councillors.
MHCLG keeps access to the Local Government Pension Scheme under regular review.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's correspondence entitled Local government reorganisation: invitation to local authorities in two-tier areas, published on 6 February 2025, if she will place in the House of Commons Library a copy of each individual council response to her Department's interim plan invitation letters.
The Government has no plans to place interim plans received from councils in the House of Commons Library. Interim plans are not a decision-making point but are designed to enable areas to set out their progress on developing proposals in line with the criteria and guidance, and receive feedback to support them to develop final proposals. A number of councils have published their interim plans on their websites, which is a matter for local decision.
With reference to the Home Office's closed consultation entitled Impact assessment: alcohol in licensed pavement areas, published on 10 May 2024, whether her Department has produced an impact assessment on the decision to allow the Covid-19 easements in relation to alcohol licensing on (a) pavement licences and (b) takeaway pints to expire at the end of March 2025.
The previous government ran two consultations in 2023 and 2024 to consider the future of this temporary easement, each accompanied by an impact assessment. The most recent impact assessment, published alongside the 2024 consultation, can be found at Impact Assessment - licensing the pavement area. A new impact assessment relating to the lapse of the easement was not required as new policy or legislation was not being introduced. To assist businesses that have made use of the easement, the Government has amended statutory licensing guidance to make it easier and cheaper for businesses to apply for and obtain a licensing variation.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2025 to Question 35254 on MHCLG: Wolverhampton, for what reason the Deputy Prime Minister does not regularly work from those offices.
The Deputy Prime Minister and ministerial team work from a number of locations and offices across the country. Since coming into office, the Deputy Prime Minister has led an ambitious legislative agenda in Parliament to boost renters' rights, fix the planning system to support growth, and make work pay, alongside engagements across the UK on the Government's plan for change. Where the pressures of these commitments allow, the Deputy Prime Minister will visit and work from locations across the UK.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 32217 on Homes England: Consultants, if she will provide a breakdown of that spending by (a) firm, (b) value and (c) topic.
Homes England’s spending on consultants since 5th July 2024 can be broken down as £1,877,010 to Deloitte & Touche for external advice and support on the Agency’s organisational change, £18,894 to CSL – KPMG LLP to provide third party assurance at key stages of digital transformation projects to ensure robust decision making and budget allocation, and £344,416 to Deloitte & Touche for external advice on transforming the management and administration of Help to Buy.
Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to help increase (a) registration and (b) participation in elections by overseas British electors.
The Government is committed to improving electoral registration. We are exploring a wide range of options to deliver on this manifesto commitment. As set out in our response to the Electoral Commission’s evaluation of the 2024 general election, published last month (Electoral Commission’s reports on the 2024 elections: government response - GOV.UK), the Government recognises the Commission’s findings with regards to the difficulties faced by British citizens living overseas when trying to participate in UK elections. As part of our review of electoral registration and conduct, the Government, in partnership with electoral practitioners and the Electoral Commission, is examining several aspects of the system for overseas electors, with a view to identifying practical solutions to some of the challenges faced.