Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of Commonwealth citizens resident in the United Kingdom with an immigration status allowing them to be a qualifying Commonwealth elector.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There are no official statistics on the number of qualifying Commonwealth citizens living in the UK who are eligible to register to vote, either in England or across the United Kingdom.
The Office for National Statistics publishes population estimates by nationality. These statistics suggest there are over one million Commonwealth nationals living in the UK. However, these figures cannot be used as an estimate to those eligible to register to vote, as it does not account for individuals’ immigration status or other eligibility criteria.
As set out in the answer to Question UIN 120063 of 18 March 2026, the Electoral Commission has previously estimated that around 66% of qualifying Commonwealth citizens may be registered to vote (as at 2023). The Commission’s estimate is based on their survey data and provides an indication of the proportion registered; however no corresponding estimate exists for the total number eligible to register.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how the government will ensure rural counties are not disadvantaged in future allocations for economic growth and place-based investment.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Our flagship Pride in Place programme provides up to £5.8 billion over ten years to 284 neighbourhoods facing the greatest social and economic challenges, using a robust, published methodology that targets need wherever it occurs, including in rural areas. This methodology draws on established datasets such as the Index of Multiple Deprivation and the Community Needs Index, and has identified rural communities in areas including Wiltshire, East Lindsey and Somerset, amongst others.
A constituency cap ensures geographic spread across all parts of the country. Beyond Pride in Place, all areas will benefit from the powers and opportunities included in our wider Pride in Place strategy.
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 5 February 2026 to Question 109273 on Licensed Premises: Business Rates, what estimate he has made of the cost of the compensation in 2026-27; and whether it will be allocated as part of the final Local Government Finance Settlement.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The department will publish the cost of compensating local authorities for the relief as part of the 2026-27 NNDR3 outturn data reconciliation, following the end of the 2026-27 financial year.
Local authorities will be fully compensated for the loss of income associated with granting the pubs and live music venues relief they award against the main business rates liability.
The Greater London Authority is not reimbursed for the lost revenue arising from government funded discretionary reliefs awarded under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, such as the 15% Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief, when this relief is applied to a Business Rates Supplement (BRS). While these reliefs are applied on a parallel basis to reliefs on Non-Domestic Rates, the Greater London Authority bears the entire cost in respect of the resulting reduction in BRS revenues.
Business Improvement District (BID) levies are established under separate legislation from the business rates system and are payable in addition to non-domestic rates.
Business rates reliefs granted under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, such as the Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief, apply only to a ratepayer’s liability for non-domestic rates and do not apply to BID levies. These reliefs therefore reduce a ratepayer’s liability to non-domestic rates only. Individual BIDs may allow for a reduction in a levy in line with their own schemes but this is a matter for individual BIDs to determine.
Where a billing authority grants discretionary business rates reliefs (including reliefs under section 47 of the 1988 Act), the authority is compensated for the resulting loss of non-domestic rates income via grant paid under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003. This compensation relates solely to reductions in non-domestic rates liability and does not extend to BID levies. Accordingly, there is no provision for central reimbursement in respect of BID levy amounts.
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, whether local billing authorities will be compensated for the cost of the new 15% pub relief if they grant the pub relief to the (a) business rate supplements levied by the Mayor of London and (b) business improvement district levies on business rates over and above the main business rate liability.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The department will publish the cost of compensating local authorities for the relief as part of the 2026-27 NNDR3 outturn data reconciliation, following the end of the 2026-27 financial year.
Local authorities will be fully compensated for the loss of income associated with granting the pubs and live music venues relief they award against the main business rates liability.
The Greater London Authority is not reimbursed for the lost revenue arising from government funded discretionary reliefs awarded under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, such as the 15% Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief, when this relief is applied to a Business Rates Supplement (BRS). While these reliefs are applied on a parallel basis to reliefs on Non-Domestic Rates, the Greater London Authority bears the entire cost in respect of the resulting reduction in BRS revenues.
Business Improvement District (BID) levies are established under separate legislation from the business rates system and are payable in addition to non-domestic rates.
Business rates reliefs granted under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, such as the Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief, apply only to a ratepayer’s liability for non-domestic rates and do not apply to BID levies. These reliefs therefore reduce a ratepayer’s liability to non-domestic rates only. Individual BIDs may allow for a reduction in a levy in line with their own schemes but this is a matter for individual BIDs to determine.
Where a billing authority grants discretionary business rates reliefs (including reliefs under section 47 of the 1988 Act), the authority is compensated for the resulting loss of non-domestic rates income via grant paid under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003. This compensation relates solely to reductions in non-domestic rates liability and does not extend to BID levies. Accordingly, there is no provision for central reimbursement in respect of BID levy amounts.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the affordability of insulation material for construction companies.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is consulting on long-term reforms to the construction products regulatory regime, which aims to create a dynamic environment that supports long-term economic growth, infrastructure and housing delivery.
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, with reference to his plans to revoke the Electoral Commission Strategy and Policy Statement, what assessment has been made of the consequences of repealing its provisions on (a) electoral fraud and (b) the secrecy of the ballot inside polling stations.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is taking decisive action to strengthen and protect UK democracy. We recognise how vital it is that the Electoral Commission is fearlessly independent, commands trust across the political spectrum and operates free from political influence.
That is why we are bringing forward amendments to repeal the government’s powers to designate a Strategy and Policy Statement for the Electoral Commission. This will put beyond doubt the foundational principle of the Commission’s independence and further strengthen its ability to oversee elections into the future without fear or favour.
Electoral law already provides robust protections against personation, bribery, and other forms of electoral fraud, all of which are a matter for the police. For example, it is a criminal offence under the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023 to pressure someone to vote in a certain way in the polling station.
The revocation of the Strategy and Policy Statement will not have any impact on the enforcement of electoral fraud.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
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 signage requirements for private parking operators, including where free parking is conditional on visiting specific premises.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Parking on private land is managed under contract law. The signage on a site sets out the terms and conditions of the contract, including any conditions attached to free parking, and these are often reflective of the landowner’s requirements. When a motorist parks on the land, they are held to have accepted the contract created through the signage. The Sector Single Code states signage must be designed, applied and maintained to be visible, legible and unambiguous to drivers.
In response to motorist concerns and in accordance with the Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, the government intends to lay a Code setting out standards for signage in autumn 2026.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
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 private parking charge notices issued annually in England; and what assessment he has made of trends in those figures over the last five years.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government uses publicly available DVLA Keeper at Data of Event Enquiry (KADOE) data as a proxy for the number of private parking charges issued annually.
The following requests were made for car park management purposes.
Year | KADOE Requests (M) |
2018/19 | 6,905,359 |
2019/20 | 8,557,085 |
2020/21 | 4,507,308 |
2021/22 | 8,564,762 |
2022/23 | 11,052,986 |
2023/24 | 12,772,339 |
2024/25 | 14,381,119 |
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure transparency and accountability in cases where parish or town councils implement significant increases in the council tax precept; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of such increases on residents.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
It is for town and parish councils to set their precept and explain their decisions to residents. These precepts have not been subject to referendum principles, but this comes with a clear expectation that councils will take all available steps to mitigate the need for increases. Decisions taken by town and parish councils in 2026-27 will be taken into account by the government when considering referendum principles in future years.
Where a town or parish council has a precept worth £140,000 or more, the information supplied with the council tax bill must set out its expenditure council tax requirement, and the council’s opinion on the impact of expenditure on the precept level.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria are used to determine when central government intervention in a local authority is warranted in relation to standards or governance failures.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Secretary of State must be satisfied that a local authority is failing to carry out its functions in compliance with the Best Value Duty before intervening on a statutory basis under section 15 of the Local Government Act 1999.
The Secretary of State’s decision to intervene, when, and what form that intervention takes relies on the analysis of a complex set of data and circumstances. This assessment is based on the standards set out in statutory guidance for the local government sector on how to fulfil the Best Value Duty.