Written questions by Holmes.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 November 2025 to Question 86657 on Elections and Political Parties, whether each of those parties were (a) consulted and (b) engaged before the publication of the strategy in July; if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meeting of the Parliamentary Parties Panel held after the strategy was published; and what consultation he intends to hold with political parties on the proposals on (i) political finance and (ii) election law.

The Government’s Strategy for Modern and Secure Elections outlines how we will deliver on Labour’s manifesto commitment to strengthen the rules governing political donations. Our proposals draw on long‑standing, well‑established recommendations from expert bodies across the electoral sector. Views of stakeholders have been key to the development of these reforms. Regarding the Electoral Commission’s Parliamentary Parties Panel, the Commission convenes these panels and publishes the minutes of meetings on its website. We will continue to engage with stakeholders, including political parties, as we work to finalise and implement these reforms.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87325 on Devolution: Cornwall, if he will make it his policy to rule out the creation of a single strategic authority consisting of Devon and Cornwall county councils.

The government’s strong preference is for partnerships that bring more than one local authority together over a large geography to form a combined or combined county authority. By exception, the government will consider non-mayoral devolution arrangements for single local authorities. Further devolution in the South West will be announced in due course, following local conversations and ministerial decisions.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2025 to Question 87114 on Eden Project: Morecambe, what data his Department holds on any changes made to the scale and size of the proposed Eden Project development since July 2024.

Since July 2024 the Eden Project: Morecambe team have continued design work. An update on potential options for the development, including their size and scale, was presented to MHCLG in March 2025. These options were subject to ongoing community conversations. In September 2025, the department launched the Local Regeneration Fund which provided certainty of funding and flexibility to Local Authorities, including Lancaster City Council as sponsors of the Eden Project Morecambe. The Eden Project: Morecambe team submitted a planning application for their preferred option on the 15th of October 2025. The planning application proposal is currently out for consultation, ending 23rd January.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the official statistics entitled Count of Traveller Caravans, July 2025: England, published on 11 December 2025, what information his Department holds on the reasons for the 22% increase in unauthorised developments on land owned by travellers in the last year.

The July 2025 Traveller Caravan Count reported a 21% increase in unauthorised developments since July 2024. The reported increase in unauthorised developments is due in part to improved reporting in this category; data providers are encouraged to report the excess caravans on sites with planning permission as unauthorised developments where the planning permission has been breached or exceeded. My Department does not systematically collect or hold the reasons for increases in figures of each site type, although some information may be provided by local authorities in order to assist with quality assuring the statistics. Comments provided as part of quality assurance include references to caravans in excess of planning permission on some sites, as well as sites where a planning decision is pending. Local authorities are best placed to provide information on reasons for increases in their area.

Communities and Local Government, whether his department holds information on the number of local authorities which offer rural rate relief and in which locations.

Rural rate relief is a mandatory business rates relief so can be offered to eligible businesses by all authorities in England. In 2024-25, 159 local authorities reported that they gave some rural rate relief. The data on the amount of rural rate relief given by these authorities can be found in ‘DatasheetPart3’ tab here.

What estimate she has made of the increase in business rates for pubs, after transitional relief, in each year of the 2026 revaluation cycle.

I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to UIN 101363.

Communities and Local Government, how much funding was allocated to the Affordable Housing Programmes in (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25, including funding provided to his Department, Homes England, the Greater London Authority, local councils, housing associations and combined authorities.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 95055 on 5 December 2025.

Communities and Local Government, What plans he has to (a) publish the election pilots prospectus on gov.uk and (b) make it available to Hon Members.

Officials shared a prospectus detailing proposed flexible voting pilots with relevant local authorities in August 2025 and are currently engaging with local authorities wishing to pilot at the May 2026 elections. The government will share further details in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with (i) London Councils and (ii) Westminster City Council on second homes council tax premium (a) evasion and (b) avoidance since July 2024; and what representations his Department has received on that issue.

Local authorities are required to administer and enforce the council tax system. This includes managing and addressing any potential cases of avoidance or evasion in the system, including council tax premiums. The government does not advise local authorities on how they should handle potential cases of avoidance or evasion.

Communities and Local Government, whether changes to the National Planning Policy Framework since December 2024 apply to retrospective planning applications for unauthorised traveller sites.

Retrospective planning applications must be determined in accordance with the local development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The government is consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that includes clearer, more rules-based policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation includes a proposed policy on retrospective planning applications and unauthorised development which sets out that if it is concluded, based on evidence, that the unauthorised development was intentional, that fact should be given substantial weight in considering whether to grant planning permission. The consultation on changes to the NPPF is available on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Local Authority Housing Fund: Round 4 can be used to provide accommodation for asylum seekers and former asylum seekers other than those from Afghanistan.

The Local Authority Housing Fund Round 4 (LAHF R4) funds local authorities to provide better quality temporary accommodation to those owed homelessness duties, as well as providing sustainable settled housing for families on the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP). Asylum seekers are not eligible for LAHF accommodation, and they are not eligible for social housing. Former asylum seekers who have been granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR), refugee status or humanitarian protection, or leave to remain with recourse to public funds, may be entitled to homelessness assistance and temporary accommodation.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance has been given on whether a second home which is long-term unoccupied, but furnished, is liable for the empty homes council tax premium or the second homes council tax premium, where a local authority has introduced both such premiums.

The government has published guidance on when council tax premiums may apply and when a property is considered a second home or a long-term empty home. This is available here. A second home is defined, for council tax purposes, as dwelling which is substantially furnished but no one’s sole or main residence.

Communities and Local Government, what data his Department holds on the estimated level of council tax receipts in England from 2026-27 onwards, including police, combined authority, GLA and parish precepts.

The Department does not publish specific data on estimated levels of council tax receipts in England for Police, combined authorities, Greater London Authority and parish councils. As part of the provisional settlement the Government has made estimates of changes to Core Spending power for 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29. This includes estimates of the council tax requirements councils will set for those years. These estimates are set out here. These estimates exclude parish precepts, police and crime commissioner precepts, and the High Value Council Tax Surcharge being introduced from 2028.

Communities and Local Government, What guidance has been given to the Planning Inspectorate on the use of (a) gender-neutral language and (b) pronouns.

The Planning Inspectorate operates in line with relevant legislation such as the Equality Act 2010. My Department has not provided further specific advice to the Planning Inspectorate regarding gender neutral language or pronouns.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87317 on Mayors and Police and Crime Commissioners: Elections, which Mayors were consulted; and on what dates.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 78213 on 10 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, If he will place in the Library a copy of the equality impact assessment produced in relation to the revised National Planning Policy Framework, published on 16 December 2025.

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. Duty assessments alongside such consultations. We are seeking views through the consultation on how the proposed policies could affect protected characteristics, and the views we receive will inform our final assessment and the government’s response to the consultation.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Local Authority Housing Fund: Round 4 prospectus and guidance, of 19 November 2025, for what reason the funding can be used for the flipping of forthcoming shared ownership completions into social rented housing; and what the estimated grant per unit is.

Local authorities delivering the fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF R4) can shape its delivery according to local circumstances. Converting unsold shared ownership completions into social rented housing is included in a list of possible delivery routes and may be appropriate where there is insufficient demand for shared ownership homes and greater need for social rented housing. There is not a fixed grant intervention rate for converting use from shared ownership homes. The amount of funding which can be applied depends on how the shared ownership scheme was originally funded.

Whether the numeric value of the (a) Retail, Hospitality and Leisure and (b) high value multipliers will be (i) uprated by inflation each year within the 2026 revaluation cycle based on the previous values for both those respective multipliers, (ii) remain fixed value (A) 5p discounts and (B) 2.8p additions to the standard multipliers and (iii) fixed value, but the 5p and 2.8p respectively will be uprated as well.

The national multipliers uprate by the previous September’s CPI figure every April before resetting at a revaluation, which occurs every three years. This is the standard approach, as multipliers are uprated yearly with CPI. The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) multipliers will remain 5 pence below their national equivalents every year. The high-value multiplier will remain 2.8 pence above the national standard multiplier every year. However, the rates will remain under review, and the legislation does not preclude the Government from changing the rates for future tax years. This is set out in the Explanatory Memoranda of the relevant legislation: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/4/memorandum/contents

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the written statement of 16 December 2025, HCWS1186, on Electoral Resilience, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of political donations to APPGs by foreign donors on democracy.

The registration of APPGs, as well as their compliance with the 'Guide to the Rules on All-Party Parliamentary Groups', is a matter for Parliament. The Government believes it is right that there are strict rules for APPGs regarding benefits from foreign governments and supports the prohibition on foreign governments providing or funding APPG secretariats. Ultimately, MPs must conduct the appropriate due diligence and are responsible for following not only the rules for APPGs, but the House of Commons Code of Conduct as well, which is clear on the requirements for MPs with regards to lobbying and foreign governments. In October, the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) launched specific guidance to help Members of Parliament, councillors, mayors, and their staff better understand and protect themselves from threats like espionage and foreign interference. This guidance provides simple, effective steps to safeguard individuals, their teams, and the integrity of democratic processes. The Government takes any attempts to intervene in democratic processes very seriously. It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect our democratic and electoral processes, including from foreign interference. On the 16th of December, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced an independent review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics to provide an in-depth assessment of the current financial rules and safeguards that regulate political parties and political finance and make recommendations. The terms of reference for the review can be found here. Given the review’s independence, we cannot pre-empt specifics of the ground it will cover, nor the recommendations it will make. It is right that the review is independent of Government and independent of any political party.

With reference to the Valuation Office Agency's statistics entitled Non-domestic rating: change in rateable value of rating lists, England and Wales, 2026 Revaluation, published on 26 November 2025, for what reason the average Rateable Values of Royal Palaces have increased by 201%.

Royal Palaces are valued in the same way as any other class of non-domestic property; through applying the statutory and common law principles that apply across non-domestic rating. An increase in RV does not mean that business rates liability will increase by the same percentage.