Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what secondary legislation is currently scheduled to be laid in relation to (1) housing and (2) planning, under primary legislation passed in the previous Parliament.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government continues to review its policy inheritance from the last government, including in relation to Housing and Planning.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether local electors, who are citizens of (1) Russia, (2) Iran, or (3) China, who are on the (a) Welsh or (b) Scottish devolved local government electoral roll, but who are not eligible to be on the UK Parliamentary electoral roll, are deemed to be permissible donors in relation to making donations to UK-wide political parties and regulated donees based outside of Wales and Scotland respectively.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Electoral law ensures that only those with legitimate ties to the UK can participate in our elections. In Scotland and Wales, the right to participate in elections is provided to all individuals who are legally resident and on the electoral register. Those individuals can vote in local elections and in elections devolved to Scotland and Wales and are considered permissible donors so are able donate to any registered UK political party. It includes people of varying nationalities.
The Scottish Government has responsibility for the franchise for elections to the Scottish Parliament and local elections in Scotland. The Welsh Government has responsibility for elections to the Senedd and local elections in Wales.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Local Government Boundary Commission will assess the new wards and boundaries of the new unitary authorities.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Local Government Boundary Commission England (LGBCE) is responsible for electoral reviews for local government, reviewing wards, and setting the council size in terms of number of councillors. When a full electoral review of a newly established authority is carried out, the LGBCE will follow its guidance (which is available on its website), and the electoral review process includes a local consultation.
In terms of the number of and external boundaries of new unitary councils, the process set out in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 is that following the receipt of proposals for a single tier of local government the Secretary of State may request the LGBCE to advise on any matter that relates to the proposal. The Secretary of State may by order implement the proposal, with or without modification; if she has received an alternative proposal from the LGBCE, by order implement that alternative proposal with or without modification; or decide to take no action.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment has been made of the activities of the United Front Work Department in the United Kingdom in relation to the called-in Chinese Embassy planning application.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 11 March 2025 to question UIN HL5338.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - 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 potential use of a legislative reform order to remove the requirement to publish the home addresses of councillors.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the noble Lord to the response given to Question on 21 January 2025 UIN 23872. We consider removal of the requirement for councillors’ home addresses to be published is best achieved by primary legislation and intend to legislate at the first available opportunity.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - 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 number of firms contracted to (1) the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and (2) each of its arm’s-length bodies, which are now contractually entitled to fee increases for the 2025–26 financial year in order to pay for the cost of the increase in employer National Insurance from April 2025.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
No contract held by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government explicitly provides for cost increases as a result of changes to National Insurance contribution rates as these are classed as General Change in Law. Where the contract allows for rates to be reviewed, any request by a supplier to do so would be considered by MHCLG on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government which individual infrastructure planning National Policy Statements will be updated by summer 2025, and which will be updated on a slower timetable.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government intends to consult shortly on draft amended Energy National Policy Statements (NPSs) ENs-1, 3 and 5, and the NPS for Ports. These draft amended NPSs will also be laid in Parliament for consideration as prescribed by the Planning Act 2008. Completion of the update processes is subject to the outcome and timings of the consultation and Parliamentary timings.
Consultation on the draft new nuclear NPS EN-7, which will be applicable to nuclear power stations expected to deploy beyond 2025, closed on 3 April. Parliamentary scrutiny of the draft NPS is expected to be completed by 23 June. Depending on the completion and outcome of these processes, the Government aims to designate this new NPS before the end of the year.
Further to this, we are introducing legislation through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to make at least five-yearly reviews of all NPSs a legal requirement. This would include a transitional period in which NPSs that are currently out of date (i.e. more than 5 years old at the time of Royal Assent) will have 2 years from the bill being enacted to update their NPSs in line with the legislation.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the evidential or methodological basis for having a higher candidacy age than voting age under their plans to lower the latter to 16; and what assessment they have made of the capacity of 16 and 17 year-olds in the holding of elected office.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Pursuant to previous debate [Column 569 Volume 844] where this issue was raised, the Government was elected on a manifesto promising to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all UK elections, strengthening our democracy and increasing the engagement of young people. This commitment does not extend to lowering the age at which an individual can hold elected office. The Government has no plans to change the candidacy age for any elections. We are therefore rightly focusing our efforts on delivering our manifesto commitment.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government which sections of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 they intend not to be (1) implemented via further secondary legislation, or (2) commenced.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to Question UIN 27566 on 7 February 2025.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the role of the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff in determining devolution deals with (1) combined authority mayors, (2) council mayors, and (3) council leaders.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has moved away from individual negotiated deals to a consistent devolution offer for new areas and to existing Mayors and combined authorities, as set out in the English Devolution White Paper. Discussions on new devolution agreements or unlocking further powers for existing combined authorities are led by the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution on behalf of the Government. There is no role for the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff in these negotiations.
New devolution agreements must be supported by all the proposed constituent councils and can only go ahead if the Secretary of State is satisfied that the statutory tests have been met to proceed with the necessary secondary legislation to establish the strategic authority.