Written questions by Duncan-Jordan.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued to resident management companies on steps to take when a national service maintenance provider (managing agent) refuses to vacate a site following a lawful notice of termination.

It is unacceptable for a managing agent to refuse to vacate a site when it loses a contract to another agent. Landlords may seek legal advice on possible courses of action when such circumstances arise. These may include making a formal complaint to the relevant redress scheme or seeking an injunction in the County Court. Leaseholders, including resident directors, can also seek guidance and free initial legal advice from the government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE). The previous government’s Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 contains no provisions designed to prevent managing agents using subsidiary, sister, or associated organisations to deliver services. The draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill contains no provisions relating to embedded management companies. We await the conclusions of the pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Bill being undertaken by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee and will review the feedback received before publishing a substantive Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

Communities and Local Government, if his Department will ensure the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill includes retrospective powers for leaseholders to remove 'embedded managers,' without no-fault litigation where historic structural neglect is proven.

It is unacceptable for a managing agent to refuse to vacate a site when it loses a contract to another agent. Landlords may seek legal advice on possible courses of action when such circumstances arise. These may include making a formal complaint to the relevant redress scheme or seeking an injunction in the County Court. Leaseholders, including resident directors, can also seek guidance and free initial legal advice from the government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE). The previous government’s Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 contains no provisions designed to prevent managing agents using subsidiary, sister, or associated organisations to deliver services. The draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill contains no provisions relating to embedded management companies. We await the conclusions of the pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Bill being undertaken by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee and will review the feedback received before publishing a substantive Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made for the effectiveness of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 in preventing vertical integration within management groups, where managing agents appoint their own organisation and sister, or associated companies as Company Secretaries and maintenance providers.

It is unacceptable for a managing agent to refuse to vacate a site when it loses a contract to another agent. Landlords may seek legal advice on possible courses of action when such circumstances arise. These may include making a formal complaint to the relevant redress scheme or seeking an injunction in the County Court. Leaseholders, including resident directors, can also seek guidance and free initial legal advice from the government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE). The previous government’s Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 contains no provisions designed to prevent managing agents using subsidiary, sister, or associated organisations to deliver services. The draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill contains no provisions relating to embedded management companies. We await the conclusions of the pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Bill being undertaken by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee and will review the feedback received before publishing a substantive Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to facilitate the introduction of Article 4 directions in relation to Houses in Multiple Occupation by local authorities.

Local planning authorities already have powers to limit the proliferation of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) through 'Article 4' directions.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to include the needs of children in care in the development of his Department's policy.

MHCLG works closely with the Department for Education on policy development for children’s social care and is responsible for making funding available to local government for children’s social care service delivery through the Local Government Finance Settlement. As a government, we are driving the biggest transformation of children’s social care in a generation with the Families First Partnership programme – backed by a historic £2.4 billion through the multi-year Settlement’s Children, Families and Youth Grant. This historic investment demonstrates the government’s commitment to invest in prevention and will support councils working across the safeguarding partnership to deliver children’s social care reform, making a real, tangible difference to children and families. Alongside this programme of reform, helping care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independence is a priority for this Government. Together with the Department for Education, MHCLG will develop a cross-government action plan to reduce the proportion of care leavers under 25 experiencing homelessness. And MHCLG has introduced regulations, which came into force on 10 July 2025, so that young care leavers under 25 will no longer need to meet a local connection or residency test in order to access social housing.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the HC6 policy on pubs.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 105500 on 20 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on ensuring the revised National Planning Policy Framework supports national objectives to reduce health inequalities, including through tackling the potential impact of building deficiencies on health.

Both the Secretary of State and I engage regularly with ministerial colleagues and advisors on a range of matters. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals to give substantial weight to the benefits of providing new or improved public service infrastructure, including healthcare facilities of all types. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with local authorities on the potential impact of reductions in library staff numbers since 2010 on access to library services for the most vulnerable.

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for her policies of UNISON research that indicated that library opening hours have decreased in England by 22% since 2010, with 4 in 5 councils cutting back on library opening hours.

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for her policies of the decline in council run library hours and what steps he is taking with local authorities to help protect library opening hours.

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with local authorities on the potential impact of the increased use of unstaffed hours at community libraries on access to local library services.

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with local authorities to help increase pay for library workers.

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with local authorities to help increase access to local library services.

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued guidance to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council on volunteer groups that patrol local streets.

My department has not issued any such guidance.

Communities and Local Government, if he will meet with the Social Housing Action Campaign to discuss their concerns around service charges.

Neither the Secretary of State nor I have any current plans to meet with the Social Housing Action Campaign.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support leaseholders in Poole constituency for remediation work to properties that is required following the Grenfell Tower fire.

Eight years on from the Grenfell tragedy, there is no justification for any building to remain unsafe. The Government has provided extensive funding and strong legal protections to shield leaseholders from historical building safety costs following Grenfell, including cladding remediation funds and strengthened leaseholder rights under the Building Safety Act. In December 2024, Government launched the Remediation Acceleration Plan (RAP) to fix buildings faster, identify those still at risk, and support residents. An update in July 2025 outlined progress and further steps to remove barriers and strengthen accountability. As of December 2025, there are 30 buildings identified with unsafe cladding above 11m in the Poole constituency, of which 25 buildings have started or completed remediation works. The Government remains committed to considering how to strengthen protections for leaseholders from current and future building safety issues, outside the scope of the leaseholder protections regime. Plans to launch a new long-term Waking Watch Replacement Fund were announced as part of the RAP update in July 2025, and we plan to launch the new fund shortly. In the RAP, we announced we would work with the insurance industry to consider options for possible government support. We are currently engaging with industry and will provide an update in due course. Following a public consultation, we are also proceeding with legislation to ban insurance commissions being passed to freeholders, landlords and managing agents at leaseholders’ expense, and replace these with a fair and transparent permitted fee structure. As soon as parliamentary time allows, we will bring forward a new Remediation Bill to push the remediation of historic unsafe cladding further.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of introducing a visitor levy in England on (a) visitor numbers and (b) local economies.

The impacts of the overnight visitor levy will be determined by local decisions. It will be up to Mayors and local leaders to decide whether to implement a levy, subject to a local consultation on specific proposals.The Government’s consultation on the design and scope of the visitor levy closed on 18 February, and we will publish an official response in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to restrict the number of House in Multiple Occupation developments in residential areas.

Local planning authorities already have planning powers to limit the concentration or proliferation of HMOs within their locality. They can remove the national permitted development right for smaller HMOs to protect the local amenity or wellbeing of an area by introducing an ‘Article 4’ direction which, once in place, requires all new HMO proposals to secure planning permission. We keep the powers to regulate HMOs under review.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to publish a revised National Planning Policy for Waste before May 2026.

The government is currently consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued guidance to local authorities on the assessment of entitlement to a Council Tax reduction for residents who are in receipt of Universal Credit.

The department has not issued any recent guidance to local authorities on the assessment of entitlement to a council tax reduction for residents who are in receipt of Universal Credit. The administration of council tax reduction for working-age claimants is the responsibility of local authorities. The government encourages taxpayers who are in hardship to contact their local authority to discuss their options.