Written questions by Wrigley.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of empty and abandoned homes in Devon.

The government wants to see more empty homes brought back into use across the country, including in Devon.Local authorities have strong powers and incentives to tackle empty homes. They have the discretionary powers to charge additional council tax on properties which have been left unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for one or more years. The maximum premium that a council can apply increases, depending on the length of time that the property has been empty for, with a premium of up to 300% on homes left empty for over ten years.Local authorities can also use powers to take over the management of long-term empty homes to bring them back into use in the private rented sector. Local authorities can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) when a property has been empty for more than two years, subject to the production of evidence that the property has been causing a nuisance to the community and evidence of community support for their proposal. More information can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the establishment of new unitary authorities on levels of (a) effectiveness and (b) autonomy of parish and town councils.

Parish and town councils are not in scope for local government reorganisation and will continue to operate as they do now. As we implement our devolution and local government reorganisation programmes, we will ensure strong community involvement and deliver genuine benefits that can be seen by residents. Local stakeholders will have the opportunity to respond to government consultation on proposals.

Communities and Local Government, whether future funding settlements for parish and town councils will account for (a) increasing service delivery responsibilities and (b) variations in local need.

The government values the contributions made by town and parish councils to the delivery of local services.Local authorities may wish to collaborate with town and parish councils to determine how they can most effectively contribute to service delivery under future arrangements. In doing so, they should consider the financial and administrative support required by town and parish councils, as well as the potential impact of new responsibilities on local taxpayers through increases to parish precepts. Central government has no role in funding town and parish councils.Town and parish councils are independent organisations local authorities should not rely on them as a substitute for their own meaningful community engagement and local area working. Local Government Reorganisation should facilitate better and sustained community engagement, and I welcome the steps areas are taking to consider how to maintain strong community voice.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has considered including new standards in public life clauses in the English Devolution Bill.

In December 2024, the government launched a consultation seeking views on proposed measures to strengthen the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England, including the introduction of the sanction of suspension, to empower local authorities of all types and tiers to deal appropriately with member misconduct where it arises. The government response will be issued in due course. After its release, we will continue to work actively with local government on developing the detailed policies for implementation.

Communities and Local Government, whether the forthcoming English Devolution Bill will include provisions to recognise the role of parish and town councils in local service delivery.

The government values the contributions made by town and parish councils to the delivery of local services.Local authorities may wish to collaborate with town and parish councils to determine how they can most effectively contribute to service delivery under future arrangements. In doing so, they should consider the financial and administrative support required by town and parish councils, as well as the potential impact of new responsibilities on local taxpayers through increases to parish precepts. Central government has no role in funding town and parish councils.Town and parish councils are independent organisations local authorities should not rely on them as a substitute for their own meaningful community engagement and local area working. Local Government Reorganisation should facilitate better and sustained community engagement, and I welcome the steps areas are taking to consider how to maintain strong community voice.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to introduce new funding streams for (a) parish and (b) town councils.

The government values the contributions made by town and parish councils to the delivery of local services.Local authorities may wish to collaborate with town and parish councils to determine how they can most effectively contribute to service delivery under future arrangements. In doing so, they should consider the financial and administrative support required by town and parish councils, as well as the potential impact of new responsibilities on local taxpayers through increases to parish precepts. Central government has no role in funding town and parish councils.Town and parish councils are independent organisations local authorities should not rely on them as a substitute for their own meaningful community engagement and local area working. Local Government Reorganisation should facilitate better and sustained community engagement, and I welcome the steps areas are taking to consider how to maintain strong community voice.

Communities and Local Government, whether the English Devolution Bill will include measures to tackle financial disparities between parish and town councils in the same region.

The government values the contributions made by town and parish councils to the delivery of local services.Local authorities may wish to collaborate with town and parish councils to determine how they can most effectively contribute to service delivery under future arrangements. In doing so, they should consider the financial and administrative support required by town and parish councils, as well as the potential impact of new responsibilities on local taxpayers through increases to parish precepts. Central government has no role in funding town and parish councils.Town and parish councils are independent organisations local authorities should not rely on them as a substitute for their own meaningful community engagement and local area working. Local Government Reorganisation should facilitate better and sustained community engagement, and I welcome the steps areas are taking to consider how to maintain strong community voice.

Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to encourage greater diversity in parish and town council membership.

The government is committed to supporting councils at all levels of local government to attract talented members who are representative of the communities they serve. We welcome the work of organisations including the National Association of Local Councils and the Society of Local Council Clerks to encourage greater diversity in parish and town council membership.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to include provisions in the English Devolution Bill to standardise ethical conduct and behaviour in (a) parish councils, (b) town councils and (c) other levels of local government.

In December 2024, the government launched a consultation seeking views on proposed measures to strengthen the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England, including the introduction of the sanction of suspension, to empower local authorities of all types and tiers to deal appropriately with member misconduct where it arises. The government response will be issued in due course. After its release, we will continue to work actively with local government on developing the detailed policies for implementation.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take through the English Devolution Bill to involve parish and town councils in restructuring decisions at local government level.

Parish and town councils are not in scope for local government reorganisation and will continue to operate as they do now. As we implement our devolution and local government reorganisation programmes, we will ensure strong community involvement and deliver genuine benefits that can be seen by residents. Local stakeholders will have the opportunity to respond to government consultation on proposals.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to create delineated funding mechanisms for different tiers of local government in the proposed English Devolution Bill.

The government has no plans to create further delineated funding mechanisms for different tiers of local government in the proposed English Devolution Bill. The English Devolution White Paper set out that where a Strategic Authority takes on powers which are currently funded outside the Local Government Finance Settlement or the Integrated Settlements, such as Mayoral Capacity Funding, MHCLG will work with the relevant department or organisation to explore funding this through one of these routes. Further detail on the interactions between Local Authority and Mayoral Strategic Authority funding will be set out in the upcoming consultation on Local Authority funding reform.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure consistency in accessibility standards for disabled motorists across (a) privately and (b) publicly operated car parks.

Both local authorities and private parking operators who provide parking are required under legislation, such as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Equality Act 2010, to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people and to provide them equal opportunities to access services. Further to this, the single industry code reminds operators of the obligations placed on them by the Equality Act 2010. This is irrespective of contractual changes.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued recent guidance on equal access provisions when public car parks are (a) privatised and (b) have a change of contract with a private parking company.

Both local authorities and private parking operators who provide parking are required under legislation, such as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Equality Act 2010, to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people and to provide them equal opportunities to access services. Further to this, the single industry code reminds operators of the obligations placed on them by the Equality Act 2010. This is irrespective of contractual changes.

Communities and Local Government, what monitoring her Department undertakes of local authority decisions to transfer control of car parks to private entities; and whether those decisions are subject to central (a) oversight and (b) audit.

Local authorities are empowered by law to decide on appropriate parking arrangements, within the legal framework provided by the Traffic Management Act 2004 which requires Local Authorities to ensure local parking policies are proportionate, support town centre prosperity, and ensure traffic moves freely and quickly on their roads and the roads of nearby authorities The Secretary of State does not monitor or audit these decisions which are best made locally.

Communities and Local Government, whether statutory protections exist to prevent indirect discrimination in parking provision.

Both local authorities and private parking operators who provide parking are required under legislation, such as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Equality Act 2010, to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people and to provide them equal opportunities to access services. Further to this, the single industry code reminds operators of the obligations placed on them by the Equality Act 2010. This is irrespective of contractual changes.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of compliance of local authorities with the Public Sector Equality Duty when entering into agreements to transfer public car parks to private operators.

The forthcoming Private Parking Code of Practice does not apply to local authorities because civil parking enforcement operates under a different legislative framework. Local authorities have autonomy to decide on appropriate parking arrangements, within the framework provided by the Traffic Management Act 2004 which requires Local Authorities to ensure local parking policies are proportionate, support town centre prosperity, and ensure traffic moves freely and quickly on their roads and the roads of nearby authorities. The current Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities in England on Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions recommends that enforcement authorities consult locally on their parking policies, including seeking the views of people and businesses with a range of different parking needs. The Secretary of State does not audit Local Authority compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty. However, members of the public can challenge a Local Authority as to their compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty if they believe a public authority has not complied with its obligations.

Communities and Local Government, if her Department will include guidance issued to local authorities on public consultation when transferring council-owned car parks to private (a) ownership and (b) management within any new code of conduct.

The forthcoming Private Parking Code of Practice does not apply to local authorities because civil parking enforcement operates under a different legislative framework. Local authorities have autonomy to decide on appropriate parking arrangements, within the framework provided by the Traffic Management Act 2004 which requires Local Authorities to ensure local parking policies are proportionate, support town centre prosperity, and ensure traffic moves freely and quickly on their roads and the roads of nearby authorities. The current Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities in England on Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions recommends that enforcement authorities consult locally on their parking policies, including seeking the views of people and businesses with a range of different parking needs. The Secretary of State does not audit Local Authority compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty. However, members of the public can challenge a Local Authority as to their compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty if they believe a public authority has not complied with its obligations.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to delay planned local elections for new unitary authorities after 2027.

Under the local government reorganisation programme, we anticipate that, on the most ambitious timelines, there could be elections to ‘shadow’ unitary councils in May 2027, ahead of “go live” of new councils on 1 April 2028. For Surrey, our expectation is that the only elections that will take place in May 2026 are elections to new shadow unitary local government, with a view to going live in April 2027. We have no plans to postpone the elections which councils are scheduled to hold, whether to new unitary authorities, or to district councils in 2027. We will work with areas to move to elections to new ‘shadow’ unitary councils as soon as possible as is the usual arrangement in the process of local government reorganisation. The exact timings and detail of elections will depend on the proposals received and the decision taken on which proposal, if any, to implement.

Communities and Local Government, what her Department's timetable is for responding to submissions from local authorities in relation to local government reorganisation, received by 21 March 2025.

The government’s invitation on 5 February 2025 to two-tier authorities asked them to develop interim plans by 21 March 2025 for local government reorganisation. All proposals will be assessed against all the criteria in the invitation.We are currently reviewing the interim plans that were submitted and providing feedback to support councils as they progress work on developing final proposals. Once a full proposal has been submitted it will be for the government to decide on taking a proposal forward and to consult as required by statute.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to hold district council elections in 2027.

Under the local government reorganisation programme, we anticipate that, on the most ambitious timelines, there could be elections to ‘shadow’ unitary councils in May 2027, ahead of “go live” of new councils on 1 April 2028. For Surrey, our expectation is that the only elections that will take place in May 2026 are elections to new shadow unitary local government, with a view to going live in April 2027. We have no plans to postpone the elections which councils are scheduled to hold, whether to new unitary authorities, or to district councils in 2027. We will work with areas to move to elections to new ‘shadow’ unitary councils as soon as possible as is the usual arrangement in the process of local government reorganisation. The exact timings and detail of elections will depend on the proposals received and the decision taken on which proposal, if any, to implement.