Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

My Department are working in close partnership with the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Executive to design and deliver the new Local Growth Fund in Northern Ireland. More detailed information on delivery of the funding will follow.

A review of the harmonised standard for ethnicity data collection is underway by the Government Statistical Service Harmonisation team.

A public consultation between October 2025 and February 2026 sought views from a wide range of users, including Government Departments and public bodies, to understand user needs for ethnic group data. This was supplemented by a programme of engagement activity, including with representatives of all government departments.

ONS have committed to providing an initial response to the public consultation in April, and a full report on the consultation in late summer 2026 will include more detailed information on the departments that responded to the consultation.

Government intends to hold inaugural mayoral elections for the four Devolution Priority Programme places that are also undertaking local government reorganisation in May 2028, so that areas can complete the reorganisation process before Mayors take office. The inaugural elections will take place following the establishment of the Strategic Authorities by Secondary Legislation, which is subject to the areas consent. Devolution is strongest when it is built on firm foundations, and this extra time will allow these four areas to establish robust institutions ahead of their Mayors taking office in 2028.

Cheshire and Warrington and Cumbria have previously requested a delay of their inaugural elections to May 2027, to align with the majority of planned local elections. Both Strategic Authorities have now been established.

Know Your Donor rules will be implemented alongside clear, practical support for all recipients of donations. That is why the regime is underpinned by statutory guidance issued by the Electoral Commission, which will set out how recipients of donations should assess the relevant risk factors, the kinds of circumstances that may signal a heightened level of risk and the steps they can take to reduce that risk.

To keep the system responsive to evolving threats and campaigning practices, the legislation also enables this guidance to be updated as needed.

We will continue to work closely with the Commission and relevant stakeholders as the guidance is developed.

In the first two years of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), covering the financial years 2022–23 and 2023–24, the total core UKSPF allocation was £762,669,654. Of this total allocation, £174,447,409 remained unspent at the end of 2023-24 and this amount was carried forward to support UKSPF delivery in 2024-25.

My department has worked closely with Northern Ireland partners to ensure the funds address the needs and opportunities of Northern Ireland’s people, businesses, and communities, contributing towards the delivery of the Northern Ireland Economic Strategy.

In Northern Ireland, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund invested £150 million into over 60 projects 2022-23 to 2025-26, helping people move towards work, support local businesses to start, thrive and grow, and invest in communities across Northern Ireland.

The Government provides funding to address fire risks associated with cladding on residential buildings over 11 metres in height, in England. The building must have an intolerable risk to life as assessed in a Fire Risk Appraisal of the External Walls, and where all other routes to fund the required works have been exhausted.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has not invited, nor received, expressions of interest from local authorities in relation to a new model for asylum accommodation.

Strong local government will help grow the economy and drive up living standards – the government’s number one mission.

We understand communities, including rural businesses, should be able to have their say on the future of their local public services so we have been clear on the importance of councils engaging with local residents and organisations as they developed their proposals. Proposals should show how councils in the area have sought to work together in coming to a view that meets local needs and is informed by local views.

Local businesses are also able to respond to the statutory consultation on proposals for their area. Following the consultation, proposals will be considered carefully alongside the responses received and all other relevant information.

Section 25 of the Localism Act 2011 deals with the matter of predetermination of decisions by councillors.

The Local Government Association has provided guidance for councillors as to how this applies to decisions on planning applications and local plan policy. This guidance can be found on gov.uk here.

My Department has made no specific assessment of the effectiveness of planning enforcement in relation to traveller sites.

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

English devolution is a key priority for this government, and by putting more fiscal powers into the hands of local leaders in England, we can help them to increase prosperity in their regions.

As part of this, we will empower local leaders in England to introduce a levy on overnight accommodation in their areas. This will give them greater fiscal freedom, enabling them to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy. Evidence from international and domestic schemes suggested modest rates have minimal impact on visitor numbers and improves destinations and visitor experiences.

The precise design and scope of the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy are still being developed. Decisions on whether to introduce a levy will ultimately be for Mayors and other local leaders, based on what is right for their area.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111143 on 12 February 2026.

It is for the 33 London billing authorities and the Greater London Authority to ensure that the required determinations and resulting adjustments are made to ratepayer bills in respect of BRS liabilities.

Section 321 Directions were issued in respect of applications at:

The Pavilions, Sandy Lane, Runcorn, WA7 4EX, Halton Borough Council (Reference: 17/00468/FUL) made on 26 February 2017 and withdrawn on 17 January 2022.

Heath Business and Technical Park, Heath Road South, Runcorn, WA7 4QX, Halton Borough Council (Reference: 22/00569/OUT) made on 23 March 2024, called in for Ministerial determination on 19 September 2024, and decision issued on 9 March 2026.

Both Directions were issued at the request of the Health and Safety Executive.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111723 on 24 February 2026.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 112724 on 3 March 2026.

Section 1 of the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987, which governs UK Ministerial consent for use of the land as an embassy, includes consideration of all material considerations, and in particular the safety of the public, national security and town and country planning. Embassies are also expected to respect local laws, including the Building Regulations and planning legislation. In terms of planning enforcement by local planning authorities, I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to Question UIN 43486 on 16 April 2025. In terms of enforcement by building control authorities, under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, embassies and their staff are protected from the jurisdiction of the host country's courts.

The Government has no plans to allow electors to download and print their own ballot papers. All ballot papers must be uniformly printed and contain security markings in order to ensure the secrecy of the ballot and to prevent against fraud. It would not be possible to replicate this consistently if ballot papers were printed on home printers.

Returning Officers are responsible for the conduct of elections and the Electoral Commission provides them with extensive guidance on the administration of elections. It includes guidance on polling station voting and the secrecy requirements of the poll.

The Electoral Commission is also responsible for setting standards and monitoring the performance of Returning Officers. The Commission’s performance standards specifically include ensuring polling stations are set up and staff are trained to support voters to vote independently and in secret

My Department publishes quarterly data on the number of households that do not qualify for a homelessness duty after initial assessment which you can access on gov.uk here. The Department provides clear guidance for local authorities in exercising their homelessness functions, including taking decisions on duties owed, in the Homelessness Code of Guidance, which you can access here.

I wrote to council leaders and chief executives on Wednesday 25 February setting out local authorities’ legal duties to homeless families with children under the Housing Act 1996 and Children Act 1989.

The government is committed to introducing more automated approaches to electoral registration over the coming years. Our ambition is to transform our electoral registration system, harnessing existing data from across government to move towards an automated system so voters can easily register to vote and keep their registration details updated.

As set out in our policy paper ‘Restoring Trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secured elections’, we are working with a number of government departments to identify data-enabled opportunities to support the overall objective of improving registration. Any changes must be tested to ensure they have a positive outcome in an already complex system, which will take time to assess.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97526 on 15 December 2025

Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance and the available evidence, including governance and service delivery considerations.

All public bodies, including the Government, are required to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010. This duty applies to the local government reorganisation process.

Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance and the available evidence, including governance and service delivery considerations.

All public bodies, including the Government, are required to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010. This duty applies to the local government reorganisation process.

As per the Secretary of State’s correspondence to the Rt. Hon. Member of 23 February, the Government has agreed to pay the claimant’s reasonable legal costs, with the final amount to be determined. Any further Government legal or administrative costs will be met in the usual way.

All local elections scheduled for May 2026 will be going ahead as planned. Spend on administering local elections is a matter for local authorities.

The Department is committed to protecting residential leaseholders from bearing the costs of remediating historic fire safety-related cladding defects and offering support to both residents and leaseholders. Building owners and landlords for buildings under 11 metres tall are responsible for ensuring that historical fire safety defects are addressed without unnecessary delay. They should not pass the cost of cladding remediation works onto leaseholders.

Homes England, who are delivering the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS) for buildings over 11m, are now leading the management of cases of residential buildings under 11 metres on behalf of the department. This ensures a streamlined and efficient approach across all building heights and enables them to address urgent cases. They are auditing Fire Risk Assessments and accompanying Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls to ensure assessments are consistent, proportionate, and aligned with PAS 9980 standards.

The Department intends to provide further information regarding exceptional cladding remediation funding for buildings under 11m in height in England in due course.

The Department is committed to protecting residential leaseholders from bearing the costs of remediating historic fire safety-related cladding defects and offering support to both residents and leaseholders. Building owners and landlords for buildings under 11 metres tall are responsible for ensuring that historical fire safety defects are addressed without unnecessary delay. They should not pass the cost of cladding remediation works onto leaseholders.

Homes England, who are delivering the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS) for buildings over 11m, are now leading the management of cases of residential buildings under 11 metres on behalf of the department. This ensures a streamlined and efficient approach across all building heights and enables them to address urgent cases. They are auditing Fire Risk Assessments and accompanying Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls to ensure assessments are consistent, proportionate, and aligned with PAS 9980 standards.

The Department intends to provide further information regarding exceptional cladding remediation funding for buildings under 11m in height in England in due course.

The Department is committed to protecting residential leaseholders from bearing the costs of remediating historic fire safety-related cladding defects and offering support to both residents and leaseholders. Building owners and landlords for buildings under 11 metres tall are responsible for ensuring that historical fire safety defects are addressed without unnecessary delay. They should not pass the cost of cladding remediation works onto leaseholders.

Homes England, who are delivering the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS) for buildings over 11m, are now leading the management of cases of residential buildings under 11 metres on behalf of the department. This ensures a streamlined and efficient approach across all building heights and enables them to address urgent cases. They are auditing Fire Risk Assessments and accompanying Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls to ensure assessments are consistent, proportionate, and aligned with PAS 9980 standards.

The Department intends to provide further information regarding exceptional cladding remediation funding for buildings under 11m in height in England in due course.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the Question UIN 108214 on 3 February 2026.

Officials in my Department engage regularly with a range of stakeholders, including officials working in Rent Services Scotland.

Subject to a final viability assessment, the government intends to establish an alternative body or mechanism to the First-tier Tribunal to make initial rent determinations. We will confirm further details in due course.

Officials in my Department engage regularly with a range of stakeholders, including officials working in Rent Services Scotland.

Subject to a final viability assessment, the government intends to establish an alternative body or mechanism to the First-tier Tribunal to make initial rent determinations. We will confirm further details in due course.

Public bodies usually collect ethnicity data in line with the ethnicity harmonised standard, which is developed by the independent Office for National Statistics.

The current harmonised standard is based on the 2011 Census questions used across the UK; those questions were updated for the 2021 and 2022 Censuses. The current standard does not include specific “Sikh” and “Jewish” categories for a person’s ethnic group.

The ONS is reviewing the harmonised standard to ensure this remains appropriate and meets the needs of both data users and respondents. In October 2025, the ONS launched its ‘Harmonisation Ethnicity consultation’ on user needs for additional response options in a future ethnicity standard.

All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable, including that directed at Sikhs and Jewish people. The Government continues to work closely with the police and community partners to combat these forms of hatred, wherever and however it manifests.

I recognise the excellent work of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, supporting coalfield communities across the country reach their full potential. I met with the Trust recently to hear more about this work and their future ambitions.

Our Pride in Place strategy sets out how we will support the most in-need communities to deliver their local priorities. The £5.8bn Pride in Place programme and the £150m Pride in Place Impact Fund will support many coalfield communities. However beyond these, every part of the country benefits from our wider Pride in Place strategy to put people in control of their neighbourhoods.

We are working to improve high streets through initiatives such as High Street Rental Auctions; the Community Right to Buy, giving communities the chance to take ownership of valued buildings; and streamlining the compulsory purchase process to support regeneration.

I recognise the excellent work of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, supporting coalfield communities across the country reach their full potential. I met with the Trust recently to hear more about this work and their future ambitions.

Our Pride in Place strategy sets out how we will support the most in-need communities to deliver their local priorities. The £5.8bn Pride in Place programme and the £150m Pride in Place Impact Fund will support many coalfield communities. However beyond these, every part of the country benefits from our wider Pride in Place strategy to put people in control of their neighbourhoods.

We are working to improve high streets through initiatives such as High Street Rental Auctions; the Community Right to Buy, giving communities the chance to take ownership of valued buildings; and streamlining the compulsory purchase process to support regeneration.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 85213 on 4 November 2025.

Ministers have regular discussions with officials, external experts and ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including national security, defence and resilience, and associated public communications.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year engagement designed to embed a whole-of-society approach, where Government, businesses, and the public all play a part in strengthening our resilience. This addresses the risks we face, including threats below and above the threshold of an armed attack.

MHCLG is actively supporting this work, including liaising with Local Resilience Forums.

The government recognise that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home.

The previous government published a report in June 2022 on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission. It can be found on gov.uk here.

On 5 March 2026, my Department published a 12-week call for evidence regarding the rationale for the payment of a commission. It can be found on gov.uk here.

All applicants to Homes England’s bidding process for the Social and Affordable Homes programme are subject to the conditions laid out in its associated guidance, including in relation to value for money. The guidance in question can be found on gov.uk here.

MHCLG's Community Cohesion Unit works to support and promote cohesion and interfaith relations across England, through working closely with local authorities, voluntary and community sector and faith organisations, and other government departments.

Several places in the East Midlands have received continued support after the summer disorder of 2024. Specific projects to help develop cohesive communities have been supported, including the ‘Vista Collective’ in Derby - bringing together diverse community groups for dialogue and engagement and empowering residents to tackle issues affecting community cohesion. In Leicester three projects have been funded aimed at connecting and integrating separate communities, whilst in Nottingham the ‘More In Common’ partnership has been developed. The partnership has; awarded grants to local projects, provided community cohesion outreach vehicle for partnership use, arranged conversations with the public (over hate crime, flags, and wider issues of tension), distributed leaflets on hate crime, myth busting and the Prevent process (in a variety of languages) and arranged hate crime workshops, for staff and partners, delivered by Nottinghamshire Police.

Additionally, areas have been awarded funding under the recently announced Pride in Place Programme. £20 million, over a ten-year period, will be spent on projects within each of the following areas; Clifton, Worksop, Chesterfield, Mansfield, Newark-on-Trent, North East Derbyshire (Grassmoor & Holmewood), Derby (Chaddesden West), and Leicester (Eyres Monsell, Braunstone Park West, Thurnby Lodge). This long-term preventative investment will help sustain local cohesion capability.

Furthermore, MHCLG is co-ordinating cross-Government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion - working in partnership with local government, communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address the deep-seated issues.

At a national level, the government supports strong interfaith relations which are vital for cohesive communities. The Government funded Inter Faith Week 2025 as an important national platform for fostering positive interfaith relations. Alongside this, MHCLG funds grassroots programmes across England such as Near Neighbours and Schools Linking which promote dialogue and understanding across different faiths and beliefs.

The Department only collects aggregate data on the rateable values and reliefs and does not collect data broken down by type of business. Forecast data for 2025-26 is published on gov.uk here.

Support for ratepayers facing increases in their business rates bills at the 2026 revaluation is provided by the Transitional Relief Scheme and the Supporting Small Business Relief Scheme. Transitional Relief caps the bill increases of all ratepayers and is calculated from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill before all other reliefs.

Supporting Small Business Relief calculates support from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill including eligible reliefs. For the 2026 scheme, those ratepayers losing some or all of their Small Business Rate Relief, Rural Rate Relief, 2025/26 Retail, Hospitality and leisure Relief, or 2023 Supporting Small Business Rate Relief will be eligible for the 2026 Supporting Small Business Scheme.

Further information on business rates reliefs can be found on gov.uk here.

The Department only collects aggregate data on the rateable values and reliefs and does not collect data broken down by type of business. Forecast data for 2025-26 is published on gov.uk here.

Support for ratepayers facing increases in their business rates bills at the 2026 revaluation is provided by the Transitional Relief Scheme and the Supporting Small Business Relief Scheme. Transitional Relief caps the bill increases of all ratepayers and is calculated from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill before all other reliefs.

Supporting Small Business Relief calculates support from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill including eligible reliefs. For the 2026 scheme, those ratepayers losing some or all of their Small Business Rate Relief, Rural Rate Relief, 2025/26 Retail, Hospitality and leisure Relief, or 2023 Supporting Small Business Rate Relief will be eligible for the 2026 Supporting Small Business Scheme.

Further information on business rates reliefs can be found on gov.uk here.

The Department only collects aggregate data on the rateable values and reliefs and does not collect data broken down by type of business. Forecast data for 2025-26 is published on gov.uk here.

Support for ratepayers facing increases in their business rates bills at the 2026 revaluation is provided by the Transitional Relief Scheme and the Supporting Small Business Relief Scheme. Transitional Relief caps the bill increases of all ratepayers and is calculated from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill before all other reliefs.

Supporting Small Business Relief calculates support from a base liability of the 2025/26 bill including eligible reliefs. For the 2026 scheme, those ratepayers losing some or all of their Small Business Rate Relief, Rural Rate Relief, 2025/26 Retail, Hospitality and leisure Relief, or 2023 Supporting Small Business Rate Relief will be eligible for the 2026 Supporting Small Business Scheme.

Further information on business rates reliefs can be found on gov.uk here.

Selective licensing schemes and the Private Rented Sector Database have entirely different purposes. Unlike the Database, individual selective licensing schemes enable more intensive proactive enforcement strategies to address specific local issues.

My Department has engaged extensively with local authorities in respect of the development of the Database. We are considering all relevant insights they have provided, including their experience of administrating selective licensing schemes. We will review any learnings from this engagement as we finalise the design of the service and refine the way the two systems work together.