Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2026 to Question 104668 on council tax, what the monetary amount is of that national average Band D rate in 2025-26.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As set out in the response to the Fair Funding Review 2.0, the level of notional council tax is calculated based on the England average rather than the Band D average.
The average band D council tax level in England, including parishes in 2025-26 is £2,280. This is available to view here Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2025 to 2026 (revised) - GOV.UK.
The notional council tax values are set out in the Fair Funding share calculator.
Asked by: Baroness Thornhill (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish a response to the ground rent consultation held in 2023.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We will publish a response to the 2023 consultation in due course.
The government published a policy statement alongside the draft Bill setting out the existing evidence and considerations of different policy options.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to paragraph 36 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) Memorandum on the Representation of the People Bill, published on 12 February, what assessment they have made of whether the ECHR would allow for voting by convicted and jailed prisoners in some circumstances.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Prisoners convicted of a crime and serving a sentence in custody are not allowed to vote in UK Parliamentary elections, or any other elections for which responsibility is reserved.
Those imprisoned for default in paying fines or contempt of court, individuals held on remand who are not convicted, and those released on temporary licence or home detention curfew are not legally barred from voting, but they must meet the other eligibility criteria and be registered to vote.
The government has no plans to change this policy to allow prisoners to vote.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to commence sections 10 and 11 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We have no plans at present to commence these provisions. Overseas electors have the right to participate in UK parliamentary elections, and this includes the right to donate to parties or candidates they support. Political parties and other donees can only accept donations from registered electors. Overseas electors are subject to the same counter-fraud measures as domestic electors, including having their identity confirmed as part of the registration process.
The government has commissioned the Rycroft Review to consider whether political finance laws could be strengthened. We look forward to the findings of this independent review, due in late March, and we anticipate that they will inform the Representation of the People Bill.
Asked by: Lord Pack (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the efficacy of the design of poll cards; and whether they have plans to improve the effectiveness of poll cards in communicating electoral information to voters.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government is committed to improving the voting experience for electors, helping ensure they have the information they need to participate confidently in the democratic process.
The 2024-25 strategic review of electoral registration and conduct highlighted the need to improve election documentation, including the content of forms sent to electors ahead of polls, such as poll cards. In response to this, and as part of our wider work to improve information for electors, the government intends in the future to consider how best to enhance the design and clarity of poll cards.
Any work in this area will be conducted in close collaboration with local authorities and the Electoral Commission.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made by (a) his Department and (b) the Defending Democracy Taskforce of sectarianism in election campaigning.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Harassment and intimidation of voters, electoral staff and campaigners, both online and in person, is totally unacceptable, whatever the driving cause, and has a profoundly detrimental impact on our democratic process. The Government has welcomed and responded to the report made by the Speakers Conference, which explored the broad factors influencing incidents of harassment and intimidation against candidates and MPs
Before an election takes place, an ‘Election Cell’ is set up by the Joint Election Security and Preparedness Unit (JESP). This brings together government departments, the police, the intelligence agencies, the Devolved Governments, and external partners to monitor and respond to any emerging issues across physical, cyber and information security. MHCLG's Community Cohesion Unit is also a core part of JESP’s Election Cell; the Community Cohesion Unit works closely during election campaigns with local partners, including the police to monitor and address issues related to cohesion.
Government is also working closely with the Electoral Commission to develop an updated Code of Conduct for campaigning to set clear expectations for behaviour during election campaigns.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 88 of the UK Government Resilience Action Plan, how many meetings Ministers in their Department have attended related to the Home Defence Programme.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Ministers have regular discussions with officials, external experts and ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including national security, defence and resilience.
The Home Defence Programme was established in August 2024 to build the UK’s resilience to any potential escalation to conflict. It is an evolving and enduring programme of work which provides defence, security and resilience planning, focused on aligning military and civil effort in the event of a period of crisis and international hostilities affecting the UK, informed by and reflecting the recommendations from government strategies, including the Strategic Defence Review, National Security Strategy and Resilience Action Plan.
MHCLG is actively supporting this work, including liaising with Local Resilience Forums.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Representation of the People Bill will allow candidates and agents to use PO Box addresses.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Through the Representation of the People Bill we are removing the requirement for candidates who are acting as their own election agent to have their home address published on the notice of election agents, ensuring that those who partake in our democracy are safe and secure in their homes.
Election agents (including candidates acting as their own agents) will still need to have an office address where legal papers could be served, therefore this cannot be a PO box. Furthermore candidates must provide their current home address on their nomination form, which therefore also cannot be a PO box. Candidates can already however request for their home address not to be published.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to prevent automatic electoral registration from adding European Union citizens to (a) the UK Parliamentary electoral roll and (b) the local electoral roll where they do not qualify because of their immigration status.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to upholding the integrity of electoral registers. We are exploring a wide range of more automated approaches to enable improvements in both the completeness and accuracy of electoral registers, including making greater use of public sector data and digital services. Any new approaches to registration will be tested for their efficacy in improving the completeness and accuracy of the registers.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what is the Government’s policy on political advertising marking whether it has been created or manipulated by AI.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises that while AI presents significant opportunities, it also introduces risks including challenges posed by AI-generated content for the online information environment and the potential impact on democratic processes.
Solutions that help to determine what media is real and what is AI-generated are key to tackling a range of AI risks. The government is undertaking work to explore the potential methods for detecting AI-generated content.
Any reforms in this area must be carefully balanced to protect freedom of expression and avoid placing undue burdens on campaigners and online platforms.