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 1,941–1,960 of 2,926 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, whether (a) long-term vacant and (b) derelict homes returned to use count towards local housing targets.
I refer the hon. Member to the government response to the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation (Question 15) which can be found on gov.uk here.
Whether the Warm Homes Plan will (a) rationalise the number of home energy efficiency funding schemes and (b) streamline application processes for those schemes.
The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future. As a first step the Government launched the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund. The WH:LG is a successor scheme replacing the HUG and LAD schemes simplifying the current landscape. We will continue to evaluate the application processes as schemes are developed. Further details will be set out in the Warm Homes Plan in due course.
Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a cap on Mayoral Combined Authorities precepts for 2025-26.
The government has not set referendum principles for Mayoral Combined Authorities for 2025-26. The government held a consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement, providing opportunity for the public and local authorities to share views on the proposed referendum principles. The government keeps referendum principles under review, and decisions are made at the local government finance settlement, with the next due in 2026.
What the (a) terms of reference are and (b) timetable is of his Department’s resilience review.
As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster set out in his statement to the House on Friday 19 July, this government is committed to undertaking a comprehensive review of long-term resilience. The resilience review is considering established practices and policies to improve UK resilience against the full spectrum of risks we face. It is evidence based and is identifying what should be kept, changed or improved to ensure we are best prepared now and into the future. It is considering recommendations from recent inquiries including the Covid-19 Module 1 report and the Grenfell Tower tragedy to ensure the needs of communities and individuals – in particular vulnerable people – are better addressed. The review will conclude later this year.
Pursuant of the Answer of 20 December 2024 to Question 19700 on Airports: Business Rates, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) the rates revaluation in April 2026 and (b) the surcharge for hereditaments above £500,000 Rateable Value from April 2026 on (i) economic growth, (ii) international competitiveness and (iii) airfares.
The Government recognises that in the post-COVID world, expected valuations for airports at the 2026 revaluation amount to significant increases. The aviation sector is in conversation with the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) about their 2026 draft rateable values.The Government is legally required to introduce transitional relief for ratepayers to support those seeing the biggest increases at revaluations. Once we understand the complete 2026 revaluation picture will the Government be in a position to make final decisions, at Autumn Budget 2025, on the transitional relief scheme.On the new multiplier rates, the Government will confirm these at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context. Tax policy and legislation is not subject to the Better Regulation Framework Guidance which requires an Impact Assessment to accompany policy decisions. Nevertheless, when the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025 – to take effect in the 2026-27 billing year – HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
With reference to her Department's press release entitled Powers for landlords to collect rent from benefit payments to be re-examined, published on 25 January 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of ending landlord deductions on (a) landlords' rent arrears, (b) evictions and (c) the supply of property in that part of the private rented sector.
No assessment has been made as there are no plans to end landlord deductions from benefit payments. The Press release was in relation to the Nathan Roberts judgement, and the Department is considering the actions required carefully with regards to implementing it. A key point is that payment of ongoing rent and deductions for rent arrears to landlords were not deemed as unlawful, and the judgement was around operational delivery. In the customer’s personal circumstances, it is worth pointing out that whenever a decision is made to apply a deduction to a Universal Credit (UC) award, in respect of rent arrears, UC customers have always had the opportunity to seek a review of the decision by requesting a mandatory reconsideration (MR). If the MR results in the decision remaining unchanged, the UC customer has the right to appeal the decision via the Courts and Tribunal Service.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 23144 on Housing: Migrants, whether her Department holds information on the potential impact of immigration on housing costs.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 23144 on 18 February 2025.
Pursuant to the Answer of 18 February 2025 to Question 30146 on Business Rates, what estimate she has made of the change in overall cost of the retail, hospitality and leisure relief scheme without a cash cap.
Without any Government intervention, retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) relief would have ended entirely in April 2025, creating a cliff-edge for businesses. Instead, the Government has decided to offer a 40 per cent discount to RHL properties up to a cash cap of £110,0000 per business in 2025-26. To deliver our manifesto pledge, from 2026-27, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000. Whereas RHL relief currently limits support to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, the Government intends to have no such limit on the new multipliers in order to better ensure more widespread support for the high street. The Government will confirm the rates for the new multipliers at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context. Tax policy and legislation is not subject to the Better Regulation Framework Guidance which requires an Impact Assessment to accompany policy decisions. Nevertheless, when the new, permanently lower tax rates are set at Budget 2025, the Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 25703 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Consultants, what changes she has made to the neighbourhood planning contract.
The current neighbourhood planning support contract was last changed in May 2024.The government launched the procurement for the neighbourhood planning support contract on 1 October 2024 and we will announce the outcome of that exercise in due course.
Pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2024 to Question 8807 on Government Departments: Written Questions, whether her policy on Freedom of Information requests also applies to Environmental Information Regulation requests
The Government’s policy on answers to Written Parliamentary Questions and Questions for Written Answer is set out in the Guide to Parliamentary Work (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work). The guidance contains no reference to Environmental Information Regulation requests. The Information Commissioner's Office provides guidance and resources for public authorities and the public about the Freedom of Information Act and the Environment Information Regulations, available online at ico.org.uk.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 23917 on MHCLG: Public Consultation, what the reference number is of each response that was published in response to a (a) Freedom of Information and (b) Environmental Information Regulations in the last three years.
The Department has not published Freedom of Information or Environmental Information Regulations responses for the last three years. We are currently exploring options for routinely publishing this information in future.
Pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2025 to Question 32153 on Airports: Business Rates, how airports will be valued in the 2026 business rates revaluation.
Civil Airports for the 2026 Revaluation are being valued using the ‘receipts and expenditure’ valuation method. This takes into account the business’ income and expenses in determining the rateable value. As with other revaluations, the VOA are in discussions with representatives from the airport sector. The VOA have not changed the methodology they use to assess airports since the last revaluation. The revaluation is not yet complete and the VOA expect to publish draft valuations by the end of 2025.
How many days each Minister in her Department has spent working at the Darlington Campus since 5 July 2024.
Since 5th July 2024 the following working visits have taken place by HMT ministers at the DEC. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has spent 3 days at the DEC, on 11th July 2024, 12th December 2024 and 13th March 2025. Exchequer Secretary James Murray MP has spent 4 days at the DEC, on 31st July 2024, 17th August 2024, 5th December 2024 and 13th February 2025. Financial Secretary Lord Spencer Livermore has spent 1 day at the DEC, on 22nd August 2024. Chief Secretary Darren Jones MP has spent 1 day at the DEC on 13th March 2025. The Darlington Economic Campus is central to the plans of HM Treasury and we are delighted to be nearing our target of 335 HMT roles based in Darlington, including a number of the most senior Treasury staff. The Chancellor and the broader Treasury ministerial team support DEC not only by regularly visiting, but also by ensuring that colleagues based in Darlington are welcomed to hybrid meetings and able to contribute fully to the work of the department, making their voices heard and shaping economic policy making for the country as a whole from the North East of England.
Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the non-regression principle in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on her Department's ability to introduce deregulatory measures to increase housebuilding.
The government is committed to unlocking and accelerating the building of new homes without reducing relevant protections. For example, the new Nature Restoration Fund provided for by the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will enable developers to fund restoration more efficiently whilst securing improved outcomes for the environment. As such, the Bill would not have the effect of reducing the level of environmental protection of existing environmental law and the Secretary of State has confirmed as much via a statement under section 20(3) of the Environment Act.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2025, to Question 30652, on Local Government: Disclosure of Information, if she will undertake an audit of the local government transparency data published by local authorities to ascertain whether data is (a) accessible, (b) published in open reuse formats and (c) published in a timely manner.
The purpose of the Transparency Code is to make it easier for the public to directly hold their councils to account. Councils are independent of central government and expected to meet the Code’s requirements, and to take account of recommendations in the document, including to publish data in a format that allows open reuse. It is for councils to ensure that they are complying with legal duties and government does not monitor or micromanage how such requirements or recommended best practice are being met, including compliance with the Code.If members of the public have concerns about a local authority’s compliance with the Code, then they should raise this with the authority in question.
Pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2025 to Question 31955 on Private Education: Business Rates, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of liability for business rates on the commercial viability of nurseries located within the premises of an independent school.
As the Government confirmed at Autumn Budget 2024, schools that satisfy the definition of a private school will lose any entitlement to charitable rate relief entirely. This may include private schools with some nursery classes, which, despite the presence of some nursery provision will still be, by their nature, private schools. Standalone nursery schools, where they have their own business rates assessments, are excluded from the legislation and, where applicable, retain their charitable rate relief. This approach best ensures consistency with the underlying policy intent.
Pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 26035 on Housing: Asylum, what information her Department holds on the average annual cost to local authorities for looking after (a) unaccompanied asylum seeking children who arrive in their area and (b) are transferred there under the National Transfer Scheme; and what funding her Department provides to local authorities for these.
The Home Office does not hold the specific data requested in a readily reportable form, but the funding policy can be found online here: Unaccompanied asylum seeking children and leaving care: funding instructions - GOV.UK.
Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on whether byelaws can be applied to regulate inside (a) the curtilage of private property, (b) a dwelling and (c) a business premises where there is no effect on local amenity outside the curtilage.
MHCLG and other government departments publish guidance for local authorities on the process they should follow when making byelaws and also publish model byelaw sets which councils can adopt. Local authorities are required to seek legal advice on their proposed byelaws before applying for Secretary of State confirmation. The department has not provided specific guidance on regulating inside (a) the curtilage of private property, (b) a dwelling and (c) a business premises where there is no effect on local amenity outside the curtilage.
Pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 29614 on Fire and Rescue Services: Police, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support (a) joint working between emergency services, (b) tri-service working between the three emergency services and (c) joint working between the police and fire service.
The Government is committed to seeing more and better collaboration between emergency services to increase efficiency and public safety outcomes. The Policing and Crime Act 2017 sets out a statutory duty for ambulance trusts, fire and rescue bodies and police bodies in England to keep collaboration opportunities under review and, where it is in the interests of their efficiency or effectiveness, to put those collaboration opportunities into practice. It is for local fire and rescue services, working with emergency services counterparts, to decide what collaborative activities will be best to take forward.The HMICFRS framework considers collaboration as part of its inspections, and we continue to work with the sector to learn more about good examples that can be shared.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 30336 on Parking: Regulation, for what reason a further consultation is required.
The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the government to prepare a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities. The Act explains in Section 2 that the Secretary of State must consult relevant stakeholders prior to the Code’s publication. The consultation in 2021 related to a Code laid by the previous government which was later withdrawn.