Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on what date BCP Council applied for permission to increase its council tax for 2026/7 above the 4.99% limit without the need for a local referendum; and whether he plans to invite (a) oral and (b) written representations from local hon. Members before making a decision.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Whilst the government works towards a local government funding system fit for the future and delivering reforms that move funding to the places where it is most needed, the government recognises the potential for some continued instability and that some local authorities may be in a challenging financial position.
That is why, as set out in the local government policy statement in November, we confirmed for those councils in the most challenging financial positions there will be – similar to previous years – an Exceptional Financial Support framework and the ability for local requests for council tax flexibility where an authority views additional council tax increases as critical to managing financial risk.
In considering any requests for council tax flexibility, the government will carefully consider a local authority’s specific circumstances and the impacts of any proposed council tax increase to local taxpayers, the most vulnerable and the authority’s ability to provide key services. Additionally, unlike the previous government, this government would not agree to requests for additional flexibilities from authorities where council tax payers are already paying more than average.
The government will continue to work constructively with local authorities requesting support but remains clear that authorities should take reasonable steps locally to manage financial pressures and deliver for their residents and only seek support in exceptional circumstances.
In line with the position of the previous government, we treat all discussions in confidence and do not publish details of requests from individual authorities ahead of decisions being made.
As ever, I remain happy to meet with Members to discuss any local concerns and would invite them to share their views.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made on implementing the Private Parking Code of Practice; what steps the Government is taking to ensure that penalty charges issued by private parking operators are fair and proportionate; and whether a timetable has been set for introducing caps on such charges and measures to prevent aggressive enforcement tactics.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I wish to assure you that this government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector.
The new government code will contain guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities and will protect motorists from bad practice, whilst supporting legitimate operators.
In preparation for the new code, in 2025 the government published a consultation document outlining its proposals to raise standards across the private parking industry.
All responses are now being analysed and the government will publish a response and outline its final plans in due course.
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 15 December 2025 to Question 90716 on Asylum: Housing, which local government bodies the Government is currently working with.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is working closely with the Home Office, local authorities and their national membership bodies in addition to devolved partners to develop and deliver a new, more sustainable model for asylum accommodation.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the operational costs of a) Mayors and b) Council Leaders enacting Police and Crime Commissioner functions.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
No overall assessment has been made yet of the full operational costs for Strategic and Local Authorities of taking on functions from Police and Crime Commissioners. We will be working with authorities to assess those costs as the details of the new system are developed and legislated for. We will work with the Home Office to ensure that the new arrangements are fully funded.
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 17 December 2025 to Question 99606 on Local Government: Essex, whether the existing Police and Crime Commissioners in the devolution priority areas will now serve their full terms until 2028; and in what year will the new combined authority mayors take up the policing powers currently undertaken by the Police and Crime Commissioners.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Home Office Ministers will announce in due course plans for the transfers of PCC functions in the Devolution Priority Programme.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Prime Minister plans to appoint a minister for coastal communities.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Our coastal communities and their economies add unique value to the country and offer significant growth potential. As the Minister responsible for communities and local growth, I work closely with my colleagues across government to promote economic growth and create strong communities in all parts of the country, including coastal communities.
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 discussions his Department has had with local authorities in Surrey on a directly elected mayor for Surrey.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The introduction of a mayor for Surrey would depend on there being a combined authority across the area, i.e. more than one local authority. It will be for the new councils across the Surrey footprint to set out to the Government how they wish to take forward devolution.
The Government will set out next steps on new devolution agreements, including further mayoralties, in due course.
The Government recognises that Mayoral Strategic Authorities are most successful when they are built on a strong history of partnership and joint delivery. We want to see devolution that is built on strong foundations, with strong unitary structures in place before areas access mayoral devolution.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps in the forthcoming Elections Bill to to require submission of all on- and offline advertisements to the Electoral Commission as soon as they are published with data on who has sponsored the advertisement readily available to the public.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Current imprint rules require campaigners to include the name and address of a promoter, any person on whose behalf the material is published, and, for printed material, the printer’s details.
The Government has committed to adding unregistered third-party campaigning organisations to the list of entities who are required to include a digital imprint on their organic digital campaigning material and extend the Electoral Commission’s remit to be the primary enforcer of all imprint rules.
The Government has no plans to introduce a real-time submission system for digital and print advertisements to the Electoral Commission at this time, but welcome the steps taken by social media companies to create “advert libraries”.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what measures the Government has enacted to ensure local plans identify and manage the impacts of development on chalk stream rivers; whether these include buffer zones, green corridors or exclusion zones; and whether such measures are mandated in planning policy guidance.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that includes clearer, more rules-based policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation includes explicit recognition of chalk streams as features of high environmental value.
Our proposed policy is clear that local plans must identify and manage the impacts of development on these sensitive areas, for instance by creating buffer zones or green corridors, while giving local authorities flexibility to decide which measures are best suited to their local context.
We have also set out more clearly expectations for development proposals to assess and mitigate adverse impacts to water quality on these sensitive waterbodies.