Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued guidance to local authorities on the (a) civil and (b) criminal penalties for avoidance of paying the second homes council tax premium.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Councils have a range of powers available to them to recover any type of unpaid council tax, including council tax premiums. The government has recently consulted on modernising and improving the administration of council tax which seeks views on how council tax is collected and enforced. The government will publish its response to the consultation in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much and what percentage of total research expenditure has been spent on research into (a) Giloma, (b) Glioblastoma, (c) Astrocytoma, (d) DIPG and (e) DMG brain tumour types in the last decade.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of NIHR’s largest areas of spend at over £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.

Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the NIHR directly invested £11.8 million in research projects focused on brain tumours. These investments are pivotal towards efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes. Data for 2024/25 is not yet available.

The following table shows the percentage of research expenditure invested on specific cancer subtypes for the period 2014/15 to 2024/25:

In addition, the NIHR’s wider investments in research infrastructure, for instance facilities, services, and the research workforce, are estimated to be £37.5 million, supporting the delivery of 261 brain tumour research studies and enabling over 11,400 people to participate in potentially life-changing brain tumour research in the National Health Service.

Working with stakeholders from across the research community, in September 2024 NIHR launched a package of support to stimulate high-quality research applications through:

i. establishing a national Brain Tumour Research Consortium to bring together researchers from different disciplines to drive scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage and treat brain tumours;

ii. a dedicated funding call for research into wraparound care and rehabilitation for people living with brain tumours; and

iii. a partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to fund the next generation of researchers through the Allied Health Professionals Brain Tumour Research Fellowship programme.

The NIHR funds research in response to proposals received from scientists rather than allocating funding to specific disease areas in advance. The level of research spend in a particular area is driven by factors including scientific potential and the number and scale of successful funding applications. NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including all cancer types.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to allow unitary councils to expand their size into current two-tier areas.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is committed to ending two-tier local government in England in this Parliament.

On 5 February 2025, the Government invited two-tier authorities and their neighbouring small unitary authorities to develop proposals for unitary local government. Final proposals from councils must specify the area for any new unitary council(s). If a boundary change is part of any final proposal, then it should be clear on the boundary proposed. Boundary changes are possible, but existing district areas should be considered the building blocks for proposals. More complex boundary changes will only be considered where there is a strong justification. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance and the available evidence.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England has paused all electoral reviews in areas that have been invited to submit proposals for local government reorganisation. My Department is liaising closely with the Commission so that they are involved at the appropriate time to ensure fair electoral arrangements across the area of any new unitary local authority.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether Local Government Boundary Commission boundary reviews have been (a) paused and (b) terminated because of potential unitary local government restructuring.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is committed to ending two-tier local government in England in this Parliament.

On 5 February 2025, the Government invited two-tier authorities and their neighbouring small unitary authorities to develop proposals for unitary local government. Final proposals from councils must specify the area for any new unitary council(s). If a boundary change is part of any final proposal, then it should be clear on the boundary proposed. Boundary changes are possible, but existing district areas should be considered the building blocks for proposals. More complex boundary changes will only be considered where there is a strong justification. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance and the available evidence.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England has paused all electoral reviews in areas that have been invited to submit proposals for local government reorganisation. My Department is liaising closely with the Commission so that they are involved at the appropriate time to ensure fair electoral arrangements across the area of any new unitary local authority.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71459 on Counter-terrorism: Finance, how much was allocated to each local authority in the (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26 financial years.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

All Local Authorities in England, Scotland and Wales receive dedicated support from the Home Office to deliver the Prevent duty effectively and in proportion to the risk and threat.

This support includes expertise from a network of region-based Home Office Prevent Advisers who work closely with partners to raise Prevent delivery standards. Prevent Advisers also deliver an annual assurance exercise, assessing the extent to which local authorities are meeting the Prevent duty and identifying areas for further support and improvement.

In addition, all local authorities have access to the Preventing Radicalisation Fund. This supports the delivery of targeted Prevent projects, that aim to identify and mitigate local radicalisation risks.

Currently, the 28 highest threat areas in England and Wales receive Home Office Prevent funding to help them to go above and beyond the requirements of the Prevent duty. This funding supports the provision of dedicated Prevent posts in these local authorities. Some of these local authorities also receive additional funding to support regional working and share their Prevent expertise with other neighbouring local authorities.

The Home Office is projected to provide up to £6,000,000 of funding to local authorities under the Prevent programme for the current financial year 2025-26. This excludes funding for project delivery that is provided through the Prevent Radicalisation Fund.

In financial years 2024-25 the Home Office provided £6,008,271.63 of funding to 30 local authorities under the Prevent programme for dedicated Prevent posts.

An addition to the funding for dedicated Prevent posts within local authorities, the Home Office provided £2,365,309.72 of funding for Prevent project delivery for all local authorities in the financial year 2024-2025, through the Preventing Radicalisation Fund. For the financial year 2025-2026, the Home Office is projected to provide £1,877,378.99 for Prevent project delivery funding.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71459 on Counter-terrorism: Finance, how much was given to each council in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

All Local Authorities in England, Scotland and Wales receive dedicated support from the Home Office to deliver the Prevent duty effectively and in proportion to the risk and threat.

This support includes expertise from a network of region-based Home Office Prevent Advisers who work closely with partners to raise Prevent delivery standards. Prevent Advisers also deliver an annual assurance exercise, assessing the extent to which local authorities are meeting the Prevent duty and identifying areas for further support and improvement.

In addition, all local authorities have access to the Preventing Radicalisation Fund. This supports the delivery of targeted Prevent projects, that aim to identify and mitigate local radicalisation risks.

Currently, the 28 highest threat areas in England and Wales receive Home Office Prevent funding to help them to go above and beyond the requirements of the Prevent duty. This funding supports the provision of dedicated Prevent posts in these local authorities. Some of these local authorities also receive additional funding to support regional working and share their Prevent expertise with other neighbouring local authorities.

The Home Office is projected to provide up to £6,000,000 of funding to local authorities under the Prevent programme for the current financial year 2025-26. This excludes funding for project delivery that is provided through the Prevent Radicalisation Fund.

In financial years 2024-25 the Home Office provided £6,008,271.63 of funding to 30 local authorities under the Prevent programme for dedicated Prevent posts.

An addition to the funding for dedicated Prevent posts within local authorities, the Home Office provided £2,365,309.72 of funding for Prevent project delivery for all local authorities in the financial year 2024-2025, through the Preventing Radicalisation Fund. For the financial year 2025-2026, the Home Office is projected to provide £1,877,378.99 for Prevent project delivery funding.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Wealden District Council has raised legal objections to the use of Crowborough Training Camp to house asylum seekers.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

We do not comment on legal matters, however all sites progressed for asylum accommodation will comply with safety, security, health and wellbeing standards. This government will close every asylum hotel. Work is well underway, with more suitable sites being brought forward to ease pressure on communities across the country.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Minister who occupy Ministerial residences as second homes and have council tax paid (a) have restrictions on the number of days that they can occupy the property each week.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

There are no such restrictions imposed.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September 2025 to Question 69855 on Radicalism, if she will list the 28 highest threat areas in England and Wales; and how much Prevent funding was provided to each local authority for those areas in 2024-25.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

In 2024/25, the Home Office allocated dedicated Prevent funds to the 30 highest threat local authorities. These are listed below, along with the amount of Prevent funding that was provided to each local authority during this time. The number of local authorities that received dedicated Prevent funding was reduced to 28 in 2025/26.

All Local Authorities in England, Scotland and Wales receive dedicated support from the Home Office to deliver the Prevent duty effectively and in proportion to the risk and threat. This support includes expertise from a network of region-based Home Office Prevent Advisers who work closely with partners to raise Prevent delivery standards.

In addition, all local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales can now bid for Prevent project funding from the Preventing Radicalisation Fund (PRF).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September 2025to Question 69855 on Radicalism, how much was allocated from the Preventing Radicalisation Fund in 2024-25 (a) in total and (b) to each local authority which received funding.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

It is vital that Prevent is well-equipped to counter the threats that we face and the ideologies that underpin them.

Prevent provides funding for all local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland to address radicalisation risks through targeted projects

The Home Office provided £790,376.85 of funding from the Preventing Radicalisation Fund in the financial year 2024-25 to the following local authority areas.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department provides support to (a) illegal migrants and (b) asylum seekers to get married.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not provide support to illegal migrants or asylum seekers to get married. General guidance for all persons seeking to marry in the UK can be found at this link Marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales: Check if you can get married or form a civil partnership - GOV.UK and Marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales: If you or your partner are from outside the UK or Ireland - GOV.UK.