Written questions by Smith.

Communities and Local Government, what regard he has given to representations from the Gardens Trust about his Department's plans to remove it as a statutory consultee in the planning system.

On 17 November 2025, my Department published a consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system. That consultation closed on 13 January 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here. No decision will be made on the Garden Trust’s role until responses to the consultation have been fully analysed and considered.

Communities and Local Government, whether, under the Devolution Framework, non-mayoral Foundation Strategic Authorities can receive any form of consolidated multi-year settlement.

The devolution framework in the English Devolution White Paper commits to a simplified funding landscape for Mayoral and Foundation Strategic Authorities. Foundation Strategic Authorities receive a single allocation from the Adult Skills Fund to support education and training for adults aged 19 and above. Foundation Strategic Authorities will also have their transport funding consolidated. Places will be held accountable through a transport-specific accountability framework with a proportionate outcomes framework and metrics. The Government is also committed to providing areas with certainty over the entirety of the Spending Review period. The Local Authority Bus Grant ended the short-term approach to bus funding and gives councils the certainty they need to plan ahead. The White Paper also set out a clear and transparent pathway to unlocking higher levels of devolution reserved for the most mature institutions, including access to the Integrated Settlement for Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities.

Communities and Local Government, in light of his letter to Cornwall Council stating that he is minded, on an exceptional basis, to explore designating the council as a Single Foundation Strategic Authority, whether the Authority would receive a consolidated multi-year funding settlement as described in the Integrated Settlement framework.

The English Devolution White Paper set out a clear and transparent pathway for areas to be designated as Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities, and thereby become eligible for an Integrated Settlement. Any future designation of Cornwall Council as a Single Foundation Strategic Authority would mark the beginning of its journey through the devolution framework, subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary legislation. The Government is separately investing in Cornwall’s economic opportunities with a new 'Kernow Industrial Growth Fund' announced by the Chancellor at Autumn Budget 2025. This fund delivers on the Industrial Strategy’s commitment to harness regional strengths. It will provide £30 million over 2026-27 and 2027-28 to Cornwall Council, to invest in Cornwall's sectoral advantages such as critical minerals, renewable energy and marine innovation, subject to business cases. This builds on the Government’s recent £28.6 million National Wealth Fund investment in Cornish Metals, signalling a clear commitment to unlock Cornwall’s potential as a clean growth powerhouse.

Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on the treatment of surplus funds held by district councils, including West Devon Borough Council and South Hams District Council, in the event that those authorities are incorporated into a new unitary authority; and whether such surpluses will be used to offset the existing debts of other authorities within the proposed unitary structure.

It is expected that assets and liabilities remain locally managed by councils. It is essential that councils continue to deliver their business-as-usual services and duties during and after local government reorganisation. The Department will continue to operate its stewardship function to ensure councils are meeting their Best Value duty. The 2024 Guidance on Best Value Standards and Intervention describes the characteristics of a well-functioning authority, and in relation to handling assets the sections on governance, use of resources, service delivery and partnerships and community engagement are particularly relevant.

Communities and Local Government, when she plans to answer Question 59537, tabled by the hon. Member for South West Devon on 12 June 2025.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 59537 on 20 June 2025.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the ​​English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, whether new unitary councils will have the option of adopting council mayors as their executive governance.

In the English Devolution White Paper, the Government made a commitment to consider the governance models available to local authorities across the sector. As part of wider reforms to the local government landscape, the department continues to review available governance models to ensure decision making is best supported at all levels of local government.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to allow local councils to (a) adopt and (b) retain a mayoral executive model.

In the English Devolution White Paper, the Government made a commitment to consider the governance models available to local authorities across the sector. As part of wider reforms to the local government landscape, the department continues to review available governance models to ensure decision making is best supported at all levels of local government.

Communities and Local Government, with reference chapter 2, section 9D of the Local Government Act 2000 of her Department’s English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, what powers a directly elected (a) mayor and (b) leader would have.

The Functions and Responsibilities Regulations 2000, made under the Local Government Act 2000, set out which functions are not to be the responsibility of a council’s executive (mayor and cabinet, or leader and cabinet). As we set out in the English Devolution White Paper, we will discontinue the individual local authority devolution model in its mayoral form. We will continue to expand the number of areas with a Mayoral Strategic Authority covering more than one local authority. We are giving those mayors strong new powers over housing, planning, transport, skills, employment support and more, backed up with integrated and consolidated funding.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the recommendations in the report entitled Homes for All published by the Church of England and the Nationwide Foundation in April 2024.

As part of the process of developing and implementing housing and planning policy, the government engages with a wide range experts and organisations. Our plans to tackle the housing crisis, including by building 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament and delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, will address several important points raised in the report in question. The government also intends to publish a long-term housing strategy and we will consider reports such as this one, in developing it.

Communities and Local Government, when she plans to publish the report of the Older People's Housing Taskforce.

The Government will provide an update in relation to the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report in due course.

Communities and Local Government, if she will publish a timetable for the coming into force of provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.

As outlined in the King’s Speech, the Government will act quickly to provide homeowners with greater rights, powers, and protections over their homes by implementing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. This includes a new valuation scheme that leaseholders must follow to calculate how much they should pay to enfranchise and includes measures such as removing the requirement to pay marriage value, capping the treatment of ground rents at 0.1% of the freehold value in the calculation, and prescribing rates for the calculation. A small number of provisions came into force on 24 July, two months after Royal Assent, relating to rentcharge arrears, building safety legal costs and the work of professional insolvency practitioners.The Government will further reform the leasehold system by enacting remaining Law Commission recommendations relating to enfranchisement and the Right to Manage, tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and removing the disproportionate and draconian threat of forfeiture. We will also reinvigorate commonhold through a comprehensive new legal framework and ban the sale of new leasehold flats so commonhold becomes the default tenure.The Government has made clear it intends to publish draft legislation on leasehold and commonhold reform in this session so that it may be subject to broad consultation and additional parliamentary scrutiny.