Written questions by Wrigley.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to HC6 of the National Planning Policy Framework on local pubs.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, what his planned timetable is for providing further information on the next steps after the closure of the private parking code of practice consultation.

The government is committed to publishing its new Private Parking Code of Practice in Autumn 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support fire and rescue workers in Devon.

Fire and rescue workers in Devon are employed by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority which is responsible for workforce wellbeing and operational deployment based on local risk. Government supports fire and rescue services nationally through funding, policy and resilience arrangements, while operational and employment decisions remain a matter for local fire and rescue authorities, working with partners to respond to risks in their communities. The 2026/27 Local Government Finance Settlement makes available almost £1.95 billion in core spending power for Fire and Rescue Authorities in England, representing an average increase of 4.71 per cent compared to 2025/26. This is part of a multi‑year settlement which will deliver a 12.75 per cent increase in core spending power by the end of the period, alongside a further £15 million secured since the provisional settlement to support services to plan, invest and strengthen workforce health and wellbeing.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has had recent discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority and the British Standards Institution on the proposed implementation of the Private parking code of practice.

The government is committed to delivering a new Code of Practice to raise standards across the Private Parking Sector and protect motorists in accordance with the Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.The government will publish an official consultation response and lay the Code of Practice before Parliament as soon as possible.As part of this work, my department continues to engage with the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) and the CMA is aware that the government is committed to delivering the Code of Practice as soon as possible.The Department has not had any recent conversations with the British Standards Institution on these matters.

Communities and Local Government, what is his timetable for (a) responding to the consultation on the Private parking code of practice and (b) laying the code before Parliament.

The government is committed to delivering a new Code of Practice to raise standards across the Private Parking Sector and protect motorists in accordance with the Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.The government will publish an official consultation response and lay the Code of Practice before Parliament as soon as possible.As part of this work, my department continues to engage with the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) and the CMA is aware that the government is committed to delivering the Code of Practice as soon as possible.The Department has not had any recent conversations with the British Standards Institution on these matters.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has reviewed the outline planning permission for the NA3 Wolborough Barton development, including safeguarding conditions relating to Wolborough Fen SSSI.

Due to the quasi-judicial role of MHCLG Ministers in the planning system, neither the Secretary of State nor I are able to comment on the details of specific planning proposals, including discussing them with the relevant local planning authority. Enforcement against breaches of planning control and non-compliance of imposed conditions are matters for individual local planning authorities.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions the Department has had with Teignbridge District Council regarding the application of national environmental policy frameworks to the NA3 allocation affecting Wolborough Fen.

Due to the quasi-judicial role of MHCLG Ministers in the planning system, neither the Secretary of State nor I are able to comment on the details of specific planning proposals, including discussing them with the relevant local planning authority.

Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made on the Code of Practice consultation.

I wish to assure the hon. Member that this government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector. 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. A consultation document outlining proposals to raise standard across the private parking industry was published on 11 July 2025. All responses are now being analysed and the government will publish a response in due course.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Newton Abbot on 12 January, whether his Department will apply weighted criteria in the current phase of Local Government Reorganisation in Devon when assessing any revised or alternative proposals submitted in June.

All proposals must have regard to the statutory guidance that was part of the statutory invitation issued on 5 February 2025. This set out six criteria for unitary local government covering issues such as size, sensible geographies, efficiencies, financial sustainability, public service delivery, community engagement, and devolution. The government plans to consult in early February on all proposals for unitary local government in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay that were submitted by 28 November 2025 and meet the terms of the statutory invitation. In making a decision on which proposals, if any, to implement Ministers will judge proposals in the round against the criteria, which are not weighted. They will have regard to all the representations that were received, including the consultation responses, and any other relevant information available to Ministers.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Newton Abbot on 12 January, whether any weighting framework will be used to assess revised proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Devon.

All proposals must have regard to the statutory guidance that was part of the statutory invitation issued on 5 February 2025. This set out six criteria for unitary local government covering issues such as size, sensible geographies, efficiencies, financial sustainability, public service delivery, community engagement, and devolution. The government plans to consult in early February on all proposals for unitary local government in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay that were submitted by 28 November 2025 and meet the terms of the statutory invitation. In making a decision on which proposals, if any, to implement Ministers will judge proposals in the round against the criteria, which are not weighted. They will have regard to all the representations that were received, including the consultation responses, and any other relevant information available to Ministers.

Communities and Local Government, whether Ministers from the Department are responsible for specific policy areas in different geographical regions in Devon.

Ministers from the Housing, Communities and Local Government Department do not have separate responsibility for Devon or any other council nationally, but Devon is included together with other councils for policy areas for which they are responsible. These are as follows;Current MHCLG Ministers with Responsibilities Relevant to Devon MinisterPositionKey Responsibilities Steve Reed MPSecretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentLeads MHCLG; overall strategic oversight of housing, planning, and local government policy in England Matthew Pennycook MPMinister of State for Housing and PlanningHousing policy, planning reform, planning casework, Homes England, housing delivery, affordable housing programmes Alison McGovern MPMinister of State for Local Government and HomelessnessLocal government finance, structural reform & reorganisation, homelessness, supported housing Miatta Fahnbulleh MPParliamentary Under-Secretary for Devolution, Faith and CommunitiesEnglish devolution (including Devon & Torbay CCA), regional growth, investment zones, faith-based engagement Samantha Dixon MPParliamentary Under-Secretary for Building Safety, Fire and DemocracyBuilding safety regulations, fire safety, cladding remediation, local democratic frameworks Baroness Taylor of StevenageParliamentary Under-Secretary (Lords)Local government and housing engagement; represents MHCLG interests in House of Lords

Communities and Local Government, what plans does the department have for future equivalent Shared Prosperity Funding for Devon.

In order to allow greater flexibility for local authorities and to maximise the spend on UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), the deadline for expenditure for 2025-26 allocations has been extended by six months to September 2026. Looking ahead, the government is introducing a long-term approach to local funding. This will be led by sustained and predictable support for local authorities through the Local Government Finance Settlement and complemented by targeted interventions designed to drive local growth and strengthen communities.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the single persons council tax discount to 50%.

The single person discount has been a feature of the council tax system since its introduction. Council tax contains both a property and a personal element. A full bill assumes that there are at least two adults living in a dwelling. Where there is only one liable adult resident in a property, the bill is reduced by 25%. This is effectively a 50% reduction in the personal element of the bill. The Government has no plans to change the single person discount. The council tax system contains a wide range of discounts and exemptions to reflect personal circumstances. This includes Local Council Tax Support (LCTS) schemes which provide a council tax reduction for low-income households.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to table (a) new legislation and (b) amendments affecting (i) environmental-assessment requirements, (ii) biodiversity-related planning duties and (iii) the operation of Biodiversity Net Gain under the national planning infrastructure framework.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers to Questions UIN 74339 on 20 October 2025 and 84469 on 30 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a formal fast-track process for Disabled Facilities Grant applications for people with progressive and terminal conditions such as motor neuron disease.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 88803 on 10 November 2025

Communities and Local Government, what plans the Department has to provide transitional protection for rural local authorities expected to experience the largest funding reductions under the proposed local government reorganisation.

As set out the local government finance policy statement and response to the Fair Funding Review 2.0 on Thursday 20 November, we will support local authorities, including those undergoing reorganisation or in rural areas, to manage their updated funding positions through a package of transitional arrangements. As a result of these changes, we expect the vast majority of local authorities with social care responsibilities will see their Core Spending Power increase in real terms over the multi-year Settlement, and most other authorities will see their income increase in cash terms. Areas undergoing reorganisation will continue to benefit from this package of transitional support following reorganisation. We will not recalculate transitional support allocated to reorganised councils following reorganisation, which will further benefit these councils. Considering the efficiencies that are possible through reorganisation, we expect that areas will be able to meet any further one-off costs associated with reorganisation over time from existing budgets. We will publish multi-year local authority allocations, including funding for transition and year-on-year Core Spending Power changes, at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this month.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Government intends to ensure that no local authority sees a cash reduction in its core spending power as a result of upcoming funding changes during local government reorganisation.

As set out the local government finance policy statement and response to the Fair Funding Review 2.0 on Thursday 20 November, we will support local authorities, including those undergoing reorganisation or in rural areas, to manage their updated funding positions through a package of transitional arrangements. As a result of these changes, we expect the vast majority of local authorities with social care responsibilities will see their Core Spending Power increase in real terms over the multi-year Settlement, and most other authorities will see their income increase in cash terms. Areas undergoing reorganisation will continue to benefit from this package of transitional support following reorganisation. We will not recalculate transitional support allocated to reorganised councils following reorganisation, which will further benefit these councils. Considering the efficiencies that are possible through reorganisation, we expect that areas will be able to meet any further one-off costs associated with reorganisation over time from existing budgets. We will publish multi-year local authority allocations, including funding for transition and year-on-year Core Spending Power changes, at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this month.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including automatic voter registration for overseas voters in the upcoming Elections Bill.

As set out in the July 17 policy paper ‘Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections’, the Government is committed to introducing a more automated approach to electoral registration over the coming years. Before implementing any changes, we will test a range of automated approaches including more effective use of data and better join-up across public services, with the aim of improving the accuracy and completeness of the register.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the additional costs of delivering local government services in rural areas, and how these costs will be reflected in the Fair Funding Review.

The government published the Local government finance policy statement 2026-27 to 2028-29 - GOV.UK and response to the Fair Funding Review 2.0 on Thursday 20 November, which set out the government's plans to introduce a fairer and evidence-led funding system. These updates will account for local circumstances, including for different ability to raise income locally from council tax, and the variation in cost of delivering services, including between rural and urban areas. As part of this, we will continue to apply Area Cost Adjustments to account for the different costs faced in delivering services, including in rural and urban areas. The Area Cost Adjustment considers differences in labour and rental costs, as well as the cost impact of longer journey times. We will also apply a remoteness adjustment to the Adult Social Care Formula. Our cost adjustment methodology has been subject to a technical peer review by the Institute for Fiscal Studies. We will publish provisional local authority allocations at the upcoming provisional multi-year Settlement in December, which will be subject to consultation and the usual Parliamentary process.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Department plans to review the Area Cost Adjustment.

The government published the Local government finance policy statement 2026-27 to 2028-29 - GOV.UK and response to the Fair Funding Review 2.0 on Thursday 20 November, which set out the government's plans to introduce a fairer and evidence-led funding system. These updates will account for local circumstances, including for different ability to raise income locally from council tax, and the variation in cost of delivering services, including between rural and urban areas. As part of this, we will continue to apply Area Cost Adjustments to account for the different costs faced in delivering services, including in rural and urban areas. The Area Cost Adjustment considers differences in labour and rental costs, as well as the cost impact of longer journey times. We will also apply a remoteness adjustment to the Adult Social Care Formula. Our cost adjustment methodology has been subject to a technical peer review by the Institute for Fiscal Studies. We will publish provisional local authority allocations at the upcoming provisional multi-year Settlement in December, which will be subject to consultation and the usual Parliamentary process.