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, further to the press release, Levy on overnight trips will help mayors invest in local growth, of 25 November 2025, what is the estimated increase to the cost of an average family holiday, with two adults and two children, in England.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy.
The Visitor Levy Consultation, running until 18 February 2026, sets out the details of governments proposals for this power. This consultation will ensure the public, businesses, and local government can shape the design of the power to introduce a levy that will be devolved to local leaders.
The impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. We expect Mayors to engage constructively with businesses and their communities to hear these concerns. This will inform their decisions regarding whether and how a levy will be applied and how any revenue is invested.
It will be for Business Improvement District (BID) bodies and businesses to determine whether to continue with BID arrangements following any local decision to put in place a visitor levy.
The Written Ministerial Statement was made in Parliament prior to the press notice being issued on gov.uk.
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, further to the press release, Levy on overnight trips will help mayors invest in local growth, of 25 November 2025, for what reason the press release was distributed via gov.uk before the Written Ministerial Statement was laid before Parliament.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy.
The Visitor Levy Consultation, running until 18 February 2026, sets out the details of governments proposals for this power. This consultation will ensure the public, businesses, and local government can shape the design of the power to introduce a levy that will be devolved to local leaders.
The impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. We expect Mayors to engage constructively with businesses and their communities to hear these concerns. This will inform their decisions regarding whether and how a levy will be applied and how any revenue is invested.
It will be for Business Improvement District (BID) bodies and businesses to determine whether to continue with BID arrangements following any local decision to put in place a visitor levy.
The Written Ministerial Statement was made in Parliament prior to the press notice being issued on gov.uk.
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 the overnight visitor levy will apply to Christian retreat accommodation where a commercial charge is levied on the visitor.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy.
The Visitor Levy Consultation, running until 18 February 2026, sets out the details of governments proposals for this power. This consultation will ensure the public, businesses, and local government can shape the design of the power to introduce a levy that will be devolved to local leaders.
The impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. We expect Mayors to engage constructively with businesses and their communities to hear these concerns. This will inform their decisions regarding whether and how a levy will be applied and how any revenue is invested.
It will be for Business Improvement District (BID) bodies and businesses to determine whether to continue with BID arrangements following any local decision to put in place a visitor levy.
The Written Ministerial Statement was made in Parliament prior to the press notice being issued on gov.uk.
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, further to the press release, "Levy on overnight trips will help mayors invest in local growth", of 25 November 2025, whether the overnight visitor levy will be levied only in areas with mayoral strategic authorities, or whether it will be chargeable by other local authorities without a mayor.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy.
The Visitor Levy Consultation, running until 18 February 2026, sets out the details of governments proposals for this power. This consultation will ensure the public, businesses, and local government can shape the design of the power to introduce a levy that will be devolved to local leaders.
The impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. We expect Mayors to engage constructively with businesses and their communities to hear these concerns. This will inform their decisions regarding whether and how a levy will be applied and how any revenue is invested.
It will be for Business Improvement District (BID) bodies and businesses to determine whether to continue with BID arrangements following any local decision to put in place a visitor levy.
The Written Ministerial Statement was made in Parliament prior to the press notice being issued on gov.uk.
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, further to the press release, "Levy on overnight trips will help mayors invest in local growth", of 25 November 2025, whether the overnight visitor levy will be levied in addition to existing Business Improvement District levies charged on hereditaments which are overnight accommodation.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy.
The Visitor Levy Consultation, running until 18 February 2026, sets out the details of governments proposals for this power. This consultation will ensure the public, businesses, and local government can shape the design of the power to introduce a levy that will be devolved to local leaders.
The impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. We expect Mayors to engage constructively with businesses and their communities to hear these concerns. This will inform their decisions regarding whether and how a levy will be applied and how any revenue is invested.
It will be for Business Improvement District (BID) bodies and businesses to determine whether to continue with BID arrangements following any local decision to put in place a visitor levy.
The Written Ministerial Statement was made in Parliament prior to the press notice being issued on gov.uk.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his Department's policy is on local authorities who do not wish to engage in local government reorganisation.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 5 February 2025, the Government invited two-tier authorities and their neighbouring small unitary councils to develop proposals for unitary local government. All areas have engaged with their invitation although not all councils have submitted proposals. I am grateful for the vast amount of work undertaken by councils to develop proposals, which have now been received from every area invited, and expect local leaders to continue working collaboratively and proactively with each other as we go through the next stages of this process.
It was for councils to decide whether to submit a proposal in response to the invitation by the deadline that was specified. Whether they submitted a proposal or not, they will be a named consultee in the Government’s statutory consultations.
This Government is determined to streamline local government by replacing the current two-tier council system with new single-tier unitary councils. Empowered local government, based on unitary councils and strategic authorities, is the foundation for growth across the country – the government’s number one mission.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
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 potential impact of furniture provision on (a) tenancy sustainability and (b) homelessness; and if his Department will encourage local authorities to use the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant to provide furniture.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 92799 on 28 November 2025.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
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 ensure that people (a) leaving homelessness do not enter accommodation without flooring, window coverings, furniture and white goods and (b) who have experienced homelessness can rebuild their lives.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 92799 on 28 November 2025.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
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 frontline homelessness staff on the impact of moving homelessness survivors into unfurnished properties.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 92799 on 28 November 2025.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
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 potential impact of the Fair Funding Review 2.0 on West Berkshire Council, with regards to their capacity to sustain statutory services and meet local demand.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On Thursday 20 November, we published the government response to the Fair Funding Review 2.0, which sets out the government’s plan to introduce a fairer and evidence-led funding system.
The government is making good on long overdue promises to fundamentally update the way we fund local authorities, realigning funding with need and deprivation. We are delivering fairer funding and targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade from 2026-27, and giving local authorities greater flexibility and certainty by streamlining over 33 funding streams worth almost £47 billion.
We expect that the vast majority of councils with social care responsibilities will see their Core Spending Power increase in real terms over the multi-year Settlement. We will publish provisional local authority allocations at the upcoming provisional multi-year Settlement in December. Proposals and allocations will be subject to consultation and the usual Parliamentary process.