Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill provides powers for Ministers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to establish a licensing scheme for the retail sale of tobacco, vaping and nicotine products in their respective nations. Instead of retail licensing, Scotland has an established register of tobacco and vape retailers which has been in place for over 15 years.

Retail licensing will strengthen enforcement of tobacco and vape legislation, supporting retailers who operate responsibly while deterring those who break the law. The Government sought evidence on the implementation of retail licensing through a call for evidence which closed in December last year. We will hold a subsequent consultation on our proposals before introducing regulations.

In terms of fire safety, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places a range of legal duties on Responsible Persons (the person in control of a premises which can include building owners, landlords and employers), chief among which is the need to undertake a fire risk assessment. The assessment must identify any general fire safety precautions that need to be taken to ensure that the premises, and people within it, are safe from fire. Additionally, the Responsible Person must put those precautions in place and ensure they are subject to a suitable system of maintenance.

In order to help Responsible Persons discharge their duties MHCLG publish a range of guides including a guide for persons with duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended) and are in the process of updating the Offices and Shops guide where we will take any learning from this fire and see how this can be captured in guidance.

An Equalities Impact Assessment for adopting a definition of anti-Muslim hostility was carried out by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to fulfil the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty.

The Child Poverty Strategy was developed in collaboration with the National Plan to End Homelessness because the government is focussing on delivering long-term solutions across both agendas. The National Plan to End Homelessness includes our action to tackle the root causes of homelessness, including a generational increase in new social and affordable homes. We are delivering a new 10-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme backed by a £39 billion investment, which aims to build 300,000 social and affordable homes over the programme’s lifetime.

We have been clear that the government is not a party to the ongoing waste dispute, and this is a local matter that the relevant parties must resolve. Like all authorities, Birmingham City Council has legal duties with which its statutory officers must ensure compliance, including in relation to equal pay and the ongoing waste dispute. Throughout the all-out strike, Commissioners have consistently outlined that any resolution to the dispute must be lawful, must represent value for money and must not exacerbate unfairness relating to equal pay. Commissioners have also set out that any possible agreement with Unite must be approved through the Council's formal processes.

The summary has now been placed in the Library of the House.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) on 27 January 2026 officially moved to become an arm’s length body of MHCLG. BSR increased their regulatory capacity throughout 2025 and now have a headcount across all functions approaching 500, an increase of over 40% since June 2025. BSR will continue to recruit throughout 2026 and has plans in place to drive greater efficiencies whilst ensuring resources are matched to the demand for its regulatory services.

Building Safety Regulator officials have provided the below data:

1. 66.4% of Live Gateway 2 applications have an extension in place (867 of 1,305)
2. 41.7% of closed Gateway 2 applications had an extension (1,374 of 3,286)
3. 48.7% of all Gateway 2 applications have/had an extension (2,238 of 4,591)

As announced in the Protecting What Matters publication last week, we are currently updating and embedding the 2024 engagement principles which will assist public bodies to not confer legitimacy, funding or influence on extremist groups.

In August 2025, local authorities were invited to apply to pilot a range of flexible voting methods at the May 2026 elections in England, with a deadline of 22 September 2025.

In December 2025, council leaders in local government reorganisation areas were invited to make representations on the potential postponement of local elections and whether this would release essential capacity to deliver local government reorganisation, with a deadline of 15 January 2026.

Three local authorities that had submitted applications to pilot flexible voting methods for the May 2026 elections subsequently requested that their May 2026 polls be postponed. These authorities were Tamworth Borough Council, Stevenage Borough Council, and Redditch Borough Council. These three authorities are not taking part in the pilot scheme in May 2026.

In August 2025, local authorities were invited to apply to pilot a range of flexible voting methods at the May 2026 elections in England, with a deadline of 22 September 2025.

In December 2025, council leaders in local government reorganisation areas were invited to make representations on the potential postponement of local elections and whether this would release essential capacity to deliver local government reorganisation, with a deadline of 15 January 2026.

Three local authorities that had submitted applications to pilot flexible voting methods for the May 2026 elections subsequently requested that their May 2026 polls be postponed. These authorities were Tamworth Borough Council, Stevenage Borough Council, and Redditch Borough Council. These three authorities are not taking part in the pilot scheme in May 2026.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 84647 on 29 October 2025, UIN 118656 on 16 March 2026, and UIN 116760 on 25 March 2026.

The government have worked closely with the Electoral Commission in the design of the pilots, and will continue to work with them on their evaluation.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 84647 on 29 October 2025, UIN 118656 on 16 March 2026, and UIN 116760 on 25 March 2026.

The government have worked closely with the Electoral Commission in the design of the pilots, and will continue to work with them on their evaluation.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 84647 on 29 October 2025, UIN 118656 on 16 March 2026, and UIN 116760 on 25 March 2026.

The government have worked closely with the Electoral Commission in the design of the pilots, and will continue to work with them on their evaluation.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 84647 on 29 October 2025, UIN 118656 on 16 March 2026, and UIN 116760 on 25 March 2026.

The government have worked closely with the Electoral Commission in the design of the pilots, and will continue to work with them on their evaluation.

The Department has not held discussions with stakeholders on this matter.

The government is keen that all interested parties, including local residents, can have their say on the future of local government in their area. Members of the public who wish to engage can submit responses online or in writing by email or post, in line with the consultation arrangements. There are no plans to carry out a separate assessment of consultation accessibility.

At Autumn Budget 2025, government committed to financially supporting the extension of the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside. The extension will enable the building of up to 25,000 new homes and creation of 10,000 new jobs in Thamesmead and Beckton, and is critical to the development of the proposed New Town in Thamesmead.

As a part of the decision to support the extension, Greater London Authority and Transport for London submitted a Full Business Case to government setting out the benefits the extension will achieve. The Business Case was assessed by His Majesty’s Treasury who concluded that it represents good value for money.

As part of the Pride in Place Programme, the Derry-Londonderry board and Coleraine Future Town board are receiving dedicated support from the Communities Delivery Unit within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. My officials are in regular contact with both boards and would be happy to answer any queries. The hon. Member can expect to receive a response to his correspondence very shortly

We will publish the High Streets Strategy later this year.

The Strategy will be backed by £301 million investment in High Street Innovation Partnerships to help reimagine and revive some of the country’s most struggling high streets. We will set out further information in due course

The government does not provide any direct financial or other support to assist Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) in adopting infrastructure on newly developed housing estates.

LPAs can use Section 106 planning obligations to secure a commitment from developers to deliver infrastructure that is necessary to make a development acceptable in planning terms. LPAs may take enforcement action in respect of any breach of the obligations contained within a Section 106 agreement.

I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210) and the answer given to Question UIN 112724 on 3 March 2026.

The government does not provide any direct financial or other support to assist Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) in adopting infrastructure on newly developed housing estates.

LPAs can use Section 106 planning obligations to secure a commitment from developers to deliver infrastructure that is necessary to make a development acceptable in planning terms. LPAs may take enforcement action in respect of any breach of the obligations contained within a Section 106 agreement.

I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210) and the answer given to Question UIN 112724 on 3 March 2026.

The social cohesion action plan published last week, set out the steps that Government is taking to improve social cohesion. This includes the development of a social cohesion measurement framework and a social cohesion risk tool. Both of these are needed to enable central and local government and relevant partners to assess cohesion in a robust and comparable way. The Framework will be available to local government, civil society and impact investors across England, to help them identify emerging tensions. The cohesion risk tool will create a clear information-sharing link between local and central government – including Prevent and other relevant partners.

Work on the social cohesion measurement framework and cohesion risk tool is underway. We will publish fuller details of this work, including the purpose and content of the framework, and findings in due course.

The government does not collect data specifically on debt incurred to finance commercial property. However, authorities are required to submit data on borrowing, capital spend and asset holdings to government as part of quarterly and annual returns.

• Borrowing and investment data for each authority is shown by quarter on gov.uk here. This includes detail on the value of outstanding borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board.
• Capital expenditure, receipts and financing data is published on gov.uk here.
• Data on assets held by authorities is published on gov.uk here.
• Core Spending Power for each authority is published on gov.uk here

The government is taking forward work to implement the capital powers introduced into the Local Government Act 2003 in 2023, which provide powers for government to take action where an authority is exposed to excessive risk from borrowing and investment practices. The government will consult on use of these powers later this year.

The government’s objective is to safeguard the existing framework so that it continues to support essential investment—such as for housing and regeneration—while preventing practices such as taking on excessive debt for novel and risky investments. We will work closely with the sector to ensure that the powers are effective and avoid unintended consequences.

The Government is committed to ensuring victims of domestic abuse and their children can access the support in safe accommodation they need to rebuild their lives. This is part of the Government’s strategy to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls, with improved support for victims.

Under Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, local authorities must assess the need for and provide support to victims and their children in safe accommodation. It is for each local authority to determine the right mix of safe accommodation, including refuges, dispersed accommodation, and sanctuary schemes (in which a victim’s own home is made safe) to meet local needs. To support delivery, MHCLG provided authorities in England with £160 million in 2025/26, a £30 million uplift from the previous year. In the recent Local Government Finance Settlement, MHCLG committed to increase investment by a further £19 million to £499 million over the next three years.

The department collects data on the number of refuge bedspaces and the number of individuals supported in safe accommodation. This data is published annually, the most recent data is available here: Support in domestic abuse safe accommodation: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.

The Government is committed to ensuring victims of domestic abuse and their children can access the support in safe accommodation they need to rebuild their lives. This is part of the Government’s strategy to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls, with improved support for victims.

Under Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, local authorities must assess the need for and provide support to victims and their children in safe accommodation. It is for each local authority to determine the right mix of safe accommodation, including refuges, dispersed accommodation, and sanctuary schemes (in which a victim’s own home is made safe) to meet local needs. To support delivery, MHCLG provided authorities in England with £160 million in 2025/26, a £30 million uplift from the previous year. In the recent Local Government Finance Settlement, MHCLG committed to increase investment by a further £19 million to £499 million over the next three years.

The department collects data on the number of refuge bedspaces and the number of individuals supported in safe accommodation. This data is published annually, the most recent data is available here: Support in domestic abuse safe accommodation: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.

The government has set out details of a reformed SEND system which meets needs earlier, before challenges escalate. All local authorities with a SEND deficit are eligible for a grant to resolve 90% of their historic deficits up to 2025‑26— projected to be worth over £5 billion nationally—protecting their ability to support children and young people with SEND in local schools while sustaining wider services and tackling deprivation. Addressing deficits accrued to 2025‑26 could reduce financing costs by an estimated £300 million by 2027‑28.

Each local authority’s grant allocation will be determined by reviewing all available sources on local authority expenditure to establish the eligible SEND deficit. This will include comparing Section 251 data, draft and published Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) notes, DSG s151 assurance, Revenue Outturn data and published accounts.

Grant eligibility is conditional on securing Department for Education approval of a Local SEND Reform Plan, which will also be used to assess ongoing performance and delivery to target support and challenge throughout the reform period.

Local authorities will continue to operate under existing prudential financial management frameworks.

The recent Local Government Finance Settlement is our most significant step yet to make English local government more sustainable. For the first time since 2013-14, the government is updating the relative needs formulas that form a key part of how local authorities' funding allocations are calculated, using more up-to-date data. This includes using the recently published 2025 Indices of Multiple Deprivation, an official Statistic produced by MHCLG.

Each relative needs formula has been constructed using consistent principles, applying statistical techniques to weight variables according to their influence on service demand. An overview of the weightings applied to the formulas within the assessment of relative need can be found within the Fair Funding Share Calculator on gov.uk here. For further detail on the weightings and technical modelling underpinning the relative needs assessment, please refer to the relevant technical annex published on gov.uk here.

The methodology proposed by the government was subject to a technical peer review by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which can be found here.

An assessment of the equalities impacts of our proposals was published as part of the government’s response to the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, which can be found on gov.uk here Overall, the government assessed that the changes delivered through the Settlement would have positive equalities impacts.

Local authorities are responsible for their own borrowing and investment decisions, within a statutory framework intended to ensure borrowing is prudent, affordable and sustainable.

The government recognises the importance of local investment, including for housing and growth. Under the previous government, however, weaknesses in the system allowed a minority of authorities to take on excessive debt for high-risk investment that have not represented value for money. In some cases, this has led to serious failures requiring government intervention and significant cost to taxpayers.

The government is therefore bringing into effect the capital risk powers added to the Local Government Act 2003 in 2023. The aim is to safeguard the system to support essential investment while giving government the tools to address instances of excessive borrowing and investment risk before failure occurs.

The government will work with the sector in developing use of the powers to ensure they are effective and to avoid unintended consequences. We will consult later this year.

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.

The Local Audit Office will take on a remit and powers currently fragmented across the existing system with its statutory objectives and functions detailed in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. We will confirm the estimated cost and funding mechanisms later in the year, ensuring that it provides greater value for money than the current failed system.

Following the introduction of statutory local audit backstop dates in autumn 2024, the backlog of unaudited accounts has been cleared. The vast majority of opinions for financial years up to and including 2024/25 have been published.

The government continues to engage with local bodies and audit firms to ensure that issues preventing the issuance of audit opinions are resolved, and that remaining opinions are published as soon as practicable.

The total value of severance payments is set out in the department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which are available for the last three years.

The government intends to lay the Private Parking Code of Practice in autumn 2026.

Government has adopted a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility. We encourage organisations across sectors to adopt the definition and use it in ways they consider to be useful and lawful.

Local authorities have discretion within the existing allocations framework to design allocation schemes that reflect local housing needs and priorities, including how stock is managed within a new unitary area.

The government has not published guidance on the assessment of council tax liability. Liability for council tax is determined by billing authorities who will consider the facts of each case against the hierarchy of liability set out in section 6 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

The technical notes published as part of the final multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement published on 9 February 2026 include footnotes, which provide links to the underlying datasets such as the ONS’ population projections and the 2025 Indices of Multiple Deprivation.

A few underlying datasets, such as the National Pupil Database, contain sensitive or proprietary information and so have restricted access.

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. By the end of the multi-year Settlement (2028-29), the government will have provided a 15.5% increase in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England, worth over £11.4 billion, compared to 2025-26.

As a result of these changes, nine in ten councils will receive funding that broadly matches their assessed need by the end of the multi-year Settlement, up from around a third before our reforms.

Local authorities should plan services which meet the needs of people in their area, which includes planning for periods of extreme cold. The government is providing more than £3.3 billion in homelessness and rough sleeping funding from 2026/27 to 2028/29 through the Local Government Finance Settlement, and councils can use this and their wider settlement to plan and deliver safe accommodation during periods of extreme weather.

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. This letter made it clear that a child should never be sleeping rough. A household with a child has priority need for the purposes of the Housing Act 1996. Eligible homeless households with children must be accommodated under section 188, and in some circumstances under section 190(2) or 193 of the Act.

A summary of the representations submitted is set out in the Explanatory Memorandum prepared at the time and can be found on gov.uk here. The government currently has no plans to publish individual representations received.

I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 110405 on 11 February 2026.

Where the government makes a structural changes order to implement a proposal for local government reorganisation in an area, the legislation can provide for the alignment of parish councils to the electoral cycle of their new principal council. This is a matter for councils in areas undergoing reorganisation to consider in their discussions on the legislation with the Department. Decisions on the funding of parish and town council elections are a matter for local government, and central government has no role in funding town and parish councils.

The National Plan to End Homelessness announces a long-term ambition that no one should leave a public institution into homelessness. This parliament we will take the first steps towards this through joint cross-government targets to reduce the number of people leaving institutions into homelessness.

The Home Office have committed to strengthen data sharing processes with councils for 100% of newly granted refugees at risk of homelessness within two days of an asylum discontinuation of support notification. This supports early intervention by enabling councils to commence homelessness assessments.

Local authorities are best placed to determine the nature and scope of parking policies across their area. Through the Traffic Management Act 2004, local authorities must ensure that their parking policies are proportionate, support town centre prosperity, and reconcile competing demands for space whilst ensuring traffic moves freely and quickly on their roads and the roads of nearby authorities.