Written questions by Holmes.

With reference to HMT Budget 2025: Policy Costings, November 2025, page 95, for what reason a policy costing is listed for council tax and fire authorities but not for other types of local authority.

No policy changes were introduced prior to or at Autumn Budget for other types of council tax authority, so no additional policy costing notes were necessary.

Pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2025, to Question HL12434, on Council tax: valuation, whether each of the property attributes in Question HL12434, are or were taken into account as a material consideration by the Valuation Office Agency during their valuations for the current council tax revaluation in Wales.

The variables used to determine valuations for the Council Tax revaluation in Wales include property attributes, locations and sales details. More detailed information on these variables can be found in the Valuation Office Agency’s model specification document.

What methodology does the Valuation Office Agency use to calculate the difference in a dwelling’s sale price and its assessed council tax valuation value for leasehold properties with less than a 99 year lease.

I refer the hon member to the answer on UIN 99866, tabled on 15 December 2025. The Valuation Office Agency values all domestic properties on the same basis and in line with legislation. Council Tax valuations are based on the value a property, offered for sale in an open market, could have been expected to meet at the antecedent valuation date (AVD), which in England is 1 April 1991 and in Wales, 1 April 2005.

Whether the Valuation Office Agency has (a) access to the data and (b) intends to makes use of the Department for Transport’s new Connectivity Tool when undertaking (a) council tax and (b) business rate valuations in (i) England and (ii) Wales.

The Valuation Office Agency do not currently use the Department for Transport connectivity tool or data as part of our valuation work on Council Tax or Business Rates in England and Wales. They currently have no plans to use this data although they regularly review where new data sources can support their valuation activity.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Social and Affordable Homes Programme plan to build 300,000 homes over ten years, of which 180,000 will be for social rent, do these targets exclude (a) completions under the AHP 2021-26, (b) non-grant-funded completions, (c) completions funded by right to buy receipts with no grant, and (d) completions provided from developer contributions with no grant.

Accurately forecasting long-term delivery is inherently challenging, but we believe the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) could deliver around 300,000 social and affordable homes over its lifetime with around 180,000 for Social Rent.We will set initial targets for Homes England and the GLA after receiving bids from Registered Providers, and will review these targets across the lifetime of the programme to maximise delivery.In setting targets for Homes England and the GLA, we will only include homes that have been funded under the SAHP. The housing completions listed in the question will not be included.Our delivery agencies are already taking bids from Registered Providers to deliver homes under the SAHP through the £2 billion new investment we announced in March.Those delivery agencies published guidance for prospective bidders for the SAHP in November, which can be found on gov.uk here. We plan to open for bids in February 2026.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of people being held in Accident and Emergency departments due to unavailability of local NHS mental health beds on patients.

While no such specific assessment has been made, we know that in some local areas there is a need for more beds. This is being addressed in part through investment in new units, although this should be considered as part of a whole system transformation approach. Investment of £75 million of capital funding this year aims to improve inpatient care and help stop mental health patients being sent far from home for treatment. Our neighbourhood mental health centres will also improve continuity of care, drive down waits, and reduce inpatient admissions. These centres provide round the clock, open-access to treatment and support for adults with severe mental health needs. We have opened the first of six 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres in England, in Tower Hamlets, and other local areas are looking to rollout the model more widely. We also know that pressures in accident and emergency are best addressed by clear, efficient, and adequately resourced routes to appropriate crisis care. NHS Operational and Planning Guidance for 2025/26 tasks local health systems to improve patient flow through mental health crisis pathways and reduce waits longer than 12 hours in accident and emergency departments. Systems should do this by maximising the use of crisis alternatives and through robust system oversight. Substantial progress has been achieved in building more robust crisis care pathways across all ages ensuring that people in mental health crisis have access to timely and appropriate support. Key developments include the introduction of the NHS 111 ‘select mental health’ option, investment in alternative crisis services, roll-out of the Mental Health Response Vehicles programme, and full national coverage of 24/7 liaison mental health teams in general acute hospitals. We are also investing up to £120 million to bring the number of mental health emergency departments up to approximately 85. Mental health emergency departments provide rapid assessment and support in a therapeutic setting, helping those with mental health needs get the right care quickly and reducing reliance on emergency departments.

Whether the UK National Screening Committee plans to fast track the implementation of an in-service evaluation for newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy.

Progress is being made in planning and developing work to shape an in-service evaluation (ISE) of newborn blood spot screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).This follows a recommendation made in 2023 by the UK National Screening Committee which advises ministers on all aspects of population and targeted screening for an ISE in National Health Services. An ISE is needed to answer several outstanding questions related to the implementation of a newborn screening programme for SMA.Planning for the ISE is a partnership between the Department, NHS England, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and other stakeholders.Earlier in the year, the NIHR published their Health Technology Assessment research brief to appoint researchers for this work. Applications closed at the end of September 2025, and final funding decisions are expected in spring 2026. A decision on the shape and roll out of the ISE will be made after the research call process has concluded.

Whether his Department is taking steps to implement a financial redress scheme for people harmed by Sodium Valproate as recommended by the Patients Safety Commissioner.

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.

If she will publish any detailed assessments carried out (a) by and (b) on behalf of her Department on the use of Crowborough Training Camp to house asylum seekers; and whether Wealden District Council has (i) requested and (ii) been supplied those assessments.

It remains our intention to use Crowborough Training Camp to accommodate asylum seekers, subject to the outcome of feasibility assessments. The Home Office has been engaging with statutory partners, including Health, Police and Fire Rescue on this proposal and all sites progressed for asylum accommodation, including Crowborough, will comply with safety, security, health and wellbeing standards.

Communities and Local Government, how many (a) headcount and (b) FTE staff are employed by the Building Safety Regulator; if he will list the addresses of its offices; and how many assigned desks for staff it has in total.

As of 2nd October 2025, the Building Safety Regulator’s headcount was 404 and FTE was 394.2.A list of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) offices and their addresses are publicly available on the HSE website - HSE Offices.HSE operates a hybrid working model in which staff are able to work from home or from their designated office. There are no assigned desks in offices for staff, instead using a hotdesking system.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question HL7834 on New Towns: Planning Permission, if she will set out in which designated parts of the Swanscombe Peninsula were jumping spiders discovered; and what were their prevalence.

The distinguished jumping spider (Attulus distinguendus) is found on the northern section of Swanscombe Peninsula, Kent, which is one of only two locations in the UK where it can be found, the other being Thurrock Marshes. Its prevalence is extremely low, and it is a critically endangered species due to habitat loss.

If she will set out (a) how and (b) when local authorities are consulted on the housing of asylum seekers in HMOs by the Home Office and its contractors.

The government is committed to reducing reliance on hotels by expanding the overall supply of dispersal and temporary accommodation, including through the private sector.  Local authorities are consulted on all dispersed accommodation before it is procured, including for HMOs. This is a necessary step to meet our legal obligations while being cognisant of local pressures.

Communities and Local Government, whether the new socio-economic duty will apply to local authorities’ waste policies on household rubbish and recycling collections.

I refer the Hon. Member to UIN 5411 answered on 7 October 2024.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 August 2025 to Question 69053 on Special Educational Needs: Finance, what recent estimate he has made of the aggregate, accumulated deficits that have been built up under the DSG Statutory Override system in each local authority.

The Department for Education publishes outturn data on local authority-level Dedicated Schools Grant balances in the annual ‘LA and school expenditure' statistical release. The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government publishes outturn data on levels of Dedicated Schools Grant deficit held in local authority Dedicated Schools Grant adjustment accounts in the annual 'Local authority revenue expenditure and financing' statistical release. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government engages regularly with local authorities on the impact of these deficits and the extent to which they are expected to grow.

Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to reintroduce Article 5 certificates, in the context of trends in the number of cases where Tree Protection Orders are removed at the request of insurance companies; and what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (b) Forestry England and (c) the Association of British Insurers on the proposed new protocol to protect trees at risk of felling.

The Tree Preservation Order system is the primary method of protecting trees and woodlands in England. Anyone applying to a local authority to cut down, top, lop or uproot trees subject to an Order because of tree-related subsidence damage is required to set out evidence which demonstrates that the tree is a material cause of the problem and that other factors have been eliminated as potential influences so far as possible. A local authority is only liable to pay compensation for loss or damage incurred as a result of refusing any consent under an order, and not for loss or damage attributable to the claimant's failure to take reasonable steps to avert the loss or damage or mitigate its extent. I have had no recent discussions with Defra, the Forestry Commission or the Association of British Insurers on this matter and the Government has no immediate plan to amend the current legislation for Tree Preservation Orders.

If she will publish the advice provided by her Department to Somani Hotels on the need to seek a temporary application for a change of use of the Bell Hotel, Epping.

The Department has not provided such advice to Somani Hotels.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2025 to Question 65276 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, if she will publish the representation made by the National Police Chief’s Council on the High Court judgment and its implications for operational policing.

The Home Office has engaged with the National Police Chiefs’ Council following the High Court judgment to understand the implications of the judgment for operational policing.

Communities and Local Government, what changes have been made to (a) funding for individual projects and (b) the total quantum of funding for cultural projects allocated levelling up funding prior to July 2024; and if he will list the projects for which funding was cancelled.

The Levelling Up Fund committed £4.8 billion to mixed use projects under the themes of regeneration, transport and culture. In September this government announced the consolidation of the Levelling Up, Towns and Pathfinder funds into a single, consolidated funding pot, the Local Regeneration Fund. This fund honoured all funding from the constituent programmes; providing local authorities with greater flexibility, more local control and less bureaucracy, freeing them up to get on with delivery impacts in our communities across the UK. An additional £99.8 million of funding was awarded to Levelling Up cultural projects announced by the previous administration at the Spring Budget 2024. Due to the extremely challenging fiscal legacy and unfunded commitments this government inherited these projects were consulted upon, confirming £67 million of funding to 10 projects across the UK and withdrawing funding for six Local Authorities: Maldon, Redditch, High Peak, Erewash, Somerset and Northamptonshire being withdrawn. In September this government announced the consolidation of the Levelling Up, Towns and Pathfinder funds into a single, consolidated funding pot, the Local Regeneration Fund. This fund honoured all funding from the constituent programmes; providing local authorities with greater flexibility, more local control and less bureaucracy, freeing them up to get on with delivery impacts in our communities across the UK.

Whether the new Deputy Prime Minister will have an office in 70 Whitehall office; how many staff he will have; and whether he plans to create an Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

The Deputy Prime Minister has an office in Dover House. He is supported by an Office of Deputy Prime Minister which coordinates work across Departments and supports the delivery of the Deputy Prime Minister’s priorities.

What the policy responsibilities will be of the new Deputy Prime Minister; and whether he will have responsibility for (a) industrial relations and (b) employment law.

Responsibilities of the Deputy Prime Minister are published on gov.uk.