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, further to the written statement of 15 September 2026, HCWS351, on Homes for Ukraine funding changes, and with reference to the departmental letter to Council Leaders of 15 September 2026, on the Homes for Ukraine scheme funding, what is the estimate total change in annual funding as a consequence of the reductions in (a) Thank you payments to sponsors and (b) Tariff payments to local authorities.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Homes for Ukraine scheme has evolved from an emergency response into an established programme. The funding changes are intended to ensure that the scheme remains sustainable and affordable, so that it can continue supporting those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Thank you payments recognise the generosity of sponsors and hosts and contribute towards day-to-day hosting costs. They are not rent or a long-term funding arrangement. From 1 January 2027, thank you payments will reduce from £350 to £100 per household each month.
The local authority tariff will reduce from £5,900 to £3,300 per arrival but will remain un-ringfenced and can support rematching and homelessness prevention.
The Government considered the available evidence on homelessness risks when deciding the future funding arrangements for Homes for Ukraine. Based on the evidence, we do not expect the changes to lead to a significant increase in homelessness. We will continue to work closely with local authorities through ongoing engagement and monitoring.
The impact of these funding changes on benefit expenditure will depend on sponsor/host behaviour in individual circumstances. Ukrainian guests with valid Homes for Ukraine visa have recourse to public funds. Where a guest moves into a formal rental or lodging arrangement, any entitlement to benefits will be assessed under the standard eligibility rules which apply to the general public in the UK.
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, pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2026 to Question 28983 on Council tax: City of Westminster and Wandsworth, whether there is any internal public sector equalities duty assessment, other than as set out in the consultation outcome, Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-2027 to 2028-2029 consultation summary of responses, 9 February 2026, para 11.4.8.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Ministers received and considered a Public Sector Equalities Duty assessment in taking decisions on the multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement, including the council tax referendum policy decision for the six councils with no thresholds.
The government continues to use the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement process to consult on key policy choices, including equalities assessments, in the usual way.
The final Local Government Finance Settlement for the period 2026-2027 to 2028-2029 and associated document are available on gov.uk here.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September 2026 to Question 19120, on Community Relations: Tower Hamlets, whether (a) her Department and (b) the Ministerial Envoys in Tower Hamlets, hold information on which organisations have been funded by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets further to the award to the council of £25,000 of funding through the Common Ground Resilience Fund.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department holds information provided by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets through its monitoring return for the Common Ground Resilience Fund 2025/26. The council reported that funding was transferred to the following Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise delivery partners: West Ham United Foundation, Global Learning London, Mile End Community Project and Society Links.
The Department does not hold information on whether the Ministerial Envoys separately hold this information.
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 was the cost to the public purse of damages and costs for the legal challenge on the cancellation of the May 2026 local elections to date.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The relevant payments associated with this matter have been recorded in the Department's published transparency data in accordance with the Government's transparency requirements.
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, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026, to Question 20214, on Local Government: Reorganisation, if she will publish a copy of the representation from ALACE on the threshold for the making and disclosure of special severance payments.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
MHCLG engaged with a wide range of local government stakeholders and trade unions on local government reorganisation staffing matters, including the Association for Local Authority Chief Executives (ALACE).
The Department recently issued guidance to councils undergoing reorganisation covering a range of key issues related to staffing during reorganisation. On special severance payments, it urges councils to ensure that decisions around exit pay do not undermine the future sustainability of the new council or fetter decisions by the new council.
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 representations her Department has received from hon. Members on the provision of funding and powers to areas which do not have mayoral strategic authorities since July 2026.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Cabinet Statement, published at the end of July, set out the Government’s ambition to ensure every area in England has, or is in the process of establishing, a strategic authority by the end of 2027, with strategic authorities in place everywhere by the end of 2028.
We have had representations from, and engaged with, Members of Parliament as well as local leaders for areas without strategic authorities. This enabled us to confirm advanced talks and, at Budget, announce the largest ever extension of English devolution. We continue to work with leaders in other areas to agree a Strategic Authority as quickly as possible.
Where there is not local support for a mayor, we will aim to agree a non-mayoral Foundation Strategic Authority. In preparing the forthcoming Rewiring the State Delivery Plan, the Government is considering what funding and powers are most appropriately extended to Foundation Strategic Authorities and is taking representations from Members of Parliament and local leaders as part of this process.
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, with reference to paragraphs 4.2 and 4.3 of the policy paper entitled Effects of the business rates retail, hospitality and leisure multipliers and high-value multiplier, published on 26 November 2025, if she will list the HMRC Valuation Office’s special category codes used in the analysis for the (a) distribution warehouses, (b) pubs and (c) restaurants.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
For this analysis, the department selected the Special Category (SCat) codes considered most relevant to each of the property types referred to. HMRC publishes the full list of SCat codes and their descriptions, on behalf of the Valuation Office, here.
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, pursuant to the answer of 16 September 2026 to Question 28983 on Council Tax: City of Westminster and Wandsworth, if she will place in the Library the public sector equality duty assessment in relation to the decision to (a) set no council tax referendum thresholds for those six councils and (b) amend the local government funding system to assume a national notional council tax across all councils.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
An assessment of the equalities impacts of our proposals was published as part of the government’s response to the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, which can be found on gov.uk, here.
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, if she will make it her policy to undertake a Best Value review into the use of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority's Housing Investment Loans Fund in relation to loans to UAE based firms, including those connected with Manchester City football club.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Best Value framework sets out authorities’ responsibilities for good governance and management of resources. MHCLG has appropriate measures in place to ensure authorities are complying with their obligations and does not comment on specific cases.
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, with reference to the Government’s response to the Rycroft review, what discussions have been made with the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales on prospective candidate political declaration requirements for candidates to those two legislatures.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In response to Recommendation 4 of the Rycroft Review, the Government announced in July our intention to introduce permissibility and transparency requirements for donations to prospective candidates outside of formal regulated periods.
Our intention is for candidates to be required to (i) provide a declaration to confirm donations used to fund campaigning activity prior to formal candidacy are from permissible sources and (ii) report any donations received during this period which exceed £2,230. This will address a current gap in the regime and reduce the threat of foreign interference in our democracy.
We are continuing at pace to develop legislative proposals and are engaging with relevant stakeholders. The Government will bring forward details of these proposals in due course.