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 Candidates can already however request for their home address not to be published.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, pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2026 to Question 102816 on Local Government: Elections, on what dates the Electoral Commission was informed of his Department's (a) decision to postpone the 2026 mayoral elections and (b) consultation on postponing the council elections scheduled for May 2026.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Strategic authorities are established by secondary legislation, which requires the consent of the constituent councils. Whilst there is no requirement to consult the Electoral Commission on the establishment of strategic authorities, including on the timing of their inaugural mayoral elections, the Department remains in contact with the Electoral Commission where appropriate.
The government wrote to the Electoral Commission on 18 December and considered their representations ahead of the decisions about the potential postponement of local elections in 2026.
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, what the status is of each locality within the Devolution Priority Programme.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Government will establish Mayoral Strategic Authorities in the Devolution Priority Programme areas as quickly as possible following the consent of the constituent councils.
The Combined Authorities for Cumbria and Cheshire & Warrington were established on 24 February. Legislation establishing a Sussex and Brighton strategic authority has been laid before Parliament. We are firmly committed to delivering mayoral devolution as quickly as possible in the other three Devolution Priority Programme areas: Hampshire and the Solent; Norfolk and Suffolk and Greater Essex. We will continue to work closely with all Devolution Priority Programme areas.
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 is the timetable for a Government response to the working group on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim hatred.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 9 March 2026, government adopted a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility. The definition was published on gov.uk.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of affordable community spaces for charities and voluntary organisations in a) Essex and b) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Responsibility for the provision and management of community buildings and spaces sits primarily with local authorities and local partners, who are best placed to understand local need and demand. The Department engages more broadly with councils in Essex and the voluntary and community sector through cohesion projects and policy initiatives that can support community infrastructure and resilience, for example, through the Common Ground Awards. This is a capital grant programme that funds voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in England to improve or equip community spaces that bring people together from different backgrounds. The awards support small-scale building works or equipment purchases to strengthen social cohesion and help communities connect and share space.
The Department does not hold data on the number of a) community centres, b) halls and c) shared civic spaces which have closed in the last 3 years.
Through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, we are, however, introducing a new community right to buy that will empower communities to take ownership of valued community spaces and protect them for the benefit of the wider community.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what data his Department holds on the number of a) community centres, b) halls and c) shared civic spaces that have closed in the last three years.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Responsibility for the provision and management of community buildings and spaces sits primarily with local authorities and local partners, who are best placed to understand local need and demand. The Department engages more broadly with councils in Essex and the voluntary and community sector through cohesion projects and policy initiatives that can support community infrastructure and resilience, for example, through the Common Ground Awards. This is a capital grant programme that funds voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in England to improve or equip community spaces that bring people together from different backgrounds. The awards support small-scale building works or equipment purchases to strengthen social cohesion and help communities connect and share space.
The Department does not hold data on the number of a) community centres, b) halls and c) shared civic spaces which have closed in the last 3 years.
Through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, we are, however, introducing a new community right to buy that will empower communities to take ownership of valued community spaces and protect them for the benefit of the wider community.
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.