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 4 November 2025 to Question 85784 on Local Government Finance, which local authorities have submitted disposal flexibility requests and had them approved since 4 July 2024.

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

The Flexible Use of Capital Receipts general direction was introduced in 2016 by the previous government and remains substantively unchanged.

As set out in the general direction and guidance, local authorities intending to use the discretionary freedoms must provide the government with details of their planned use of the flexibility. This is to make sure that the government is adequately sighted on the use of the flexibility and can monitor how it is used. Government does not, however, approve the plans or any specific use of the flexibility. Local authorities remain responsible for appropriately complying with the direction and guidance, and ensuring their decisions are in the best interests of local residents.

Government does not publish details of the plans submitted by local authorities, but authorities should, in accordance with the guidance that accompanies the direction, make their strategies publicly available, and use of the flexibility should be reported in the annual statement of accounts.

The table below illustrates the total number of local authorities who submitted their strategies under the direction for the last three financial years:

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 his Department's website entitled Make things right, published in October 2025, what was the cost to the public purse of the translation into six languages; and on what basis were those languages chosen.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The cost of translations for the Make Things Right campaign website was £1,081.20. Translations were made of the languages social housing tenants who have English as a second language are most likely to speak.

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 Answer of 17 September 2025 to Question HL10289 on England: Anniversaries, if he will make it his policy to support the recognition of the 1100th anniversary of England's establishment as a unified state.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Further to the response to HL10289 on 17 September 2025, MHCLG currently has no plans as we are not responsible for anniversaries of this type. All policy announcements will be made in the usual way.

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 4 November 2025 to Question 85794 on Shops: Planning Permission, whether powers to block unwanted shops would apply to shops that are not otherwise long-term empty.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is introducing a number of powers to block unwanted shops that are not otherwise long-term empty.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will provide powers for ministers to introduce a licensing scheme for the retail sale of tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products to support legitimate businesses. The scheme will be subject to consultation by the Department of Health and Social Care before regulations are introduced.

Furthermore, we will introduce Cumulative Impact Assessments in gambling licensing, when parliamentary time allows. This will give councils greater control over the number of gambling outlets in their areas, helping to ensure a healthy mix of premises on their high streets.

Wider powers, such as streamlined compulsory purchase orders and community right to buy, will support local control and curation of high streets.

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 5 November 2025 to Question 85795 on MHCLG: Glenigan, what planning metrics are provided to his Department by Glenigan.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Glenigan provide data on residential development sites and planning applications. Data fields include site dimensions, date application submitted, date application decided, decision outcome, number of proposed units, application type, site location, and planning authority, among other details.

My Department also receive a calculated metric on the number of homes granted planning permission at detailed and reserved matters stage each quarter. This is published in My Department’s quarterly planning applications statistics release.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 85948 on Immigration: English Language, whether the English language requirements would apply to asylum seekers.

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

The English language requirements will not apply to asylum seekers. As a signatory to the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), we are legally obliged to consider all asylum claims admitted to the UK asylum system and to consider people’s human rights in all circumstances where a person would be removed from the UK. This is irrespective of a person’s ability to speak English, and it ensures that we do not remove anyone to their own or any other country where they would face persecution or serious harm.

Every asylum claim admitted to the UK asylum system is carefully considered on its individual merits. Protection is normally granted where a claimant has a well-founded fear of persecution under the Refugee Convention, or a claimant faces a real risk of serious harm. Those found not to need protection are refused. Once appeal rights are exhausted, they are expected to leave the UK. Otherwise, they will be liable for enforcement action and removal.

English language proficiency is a requirement across a range of other immigration routes. Full details, including the list of routes and acceptable evidence, is available in the official guidance on Assessing the English Language requirement (accessible version) - GOV.UK.

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 20 October 2025 to Question 78227 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Standards, if he will provide the data for each of those metrics from July 2024.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The metrics currently used in the dashboard are mainly derived from datasets available on the Office for National Statistics and GOV.UK websites, supported by both additional internal analysis and data sources provided under licence by third party organisations with restrictions on publication. This is used to support live policy development.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to reply to the correspondence from the Rt hon. Member for Braintree of 13 August 2025.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade aims to respond to correspondence in 15 working days but in some instances it can take longer. The response to this case has now been issued and the department apologises for the length of time this has taken and are reviewing our processes to support better transfers between departments.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has received feedback from local authorities administering the Warm Homes Grant on the difficulties of accessing park home sites for the purpose of retrofitting those properties; and if officials have held discussions with representatives of park home sites on retrofitting park homes with the Warm Homes Grant.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Park homes are eligible for support under the Warm Home: Local Grant (WH:LG). Officials would welcome working closely with local authorities and their supply chains, who deliver the scheme, to unlock any issues and ensure support reaches eligible households. Local authorities in receipt of the Warm Homes: Local Grant are encouraged to contact the department for advice or problem-solving, either through their assigned Delivery Support Manager (DSM) or directly with the department. We remain committed to working collaboratively to ensure park home residents benefit fully from the scheme.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78673 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, if he will publish his Department's engagements with the National Police Chief’s Council including (a) notes of meetings and (b) exchanges of correspondence.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office regularly engages with the National Police Chiefs’ on policy issues relating to operational policing.

The Government is working on a response to the Court’s judgment. In the Crime and Policing Bill Committee stage debate on 17 November, Home Office Minister Lord Hanson committed to set out the Government’s response to the judgment ahead of the Report stage of the Bill.

In considering the Court’s judgment, the Government will carefully balance the rights of individuals to live a private life without discrimination, while recognising the importance of protecting public spaces and communities affected by unauthorised encampments.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's press release entitled Levy on overnight trips will help mayors invest in local growth of 25 November 2025, what assessment she has made of the cumulative impact of (a) VAT, (b) corporation tax, (c) National Insurance for employers, (d) business rates and (e) the overnight visitor levy on (i) the economic viability of the British hospitality sector and (ii) the cost of a domestic family holiday.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The impacts of visitor levies will largely be determined by local decisions.

Mayors will need to decide whether to implement a levy, and, if so, consult on specific proposals. Giving this power to local leaders who best understand their region enables them to tailor it to growing their local region.

Individuals and organisations will have the opportunity to engage with Mayors on these decisions throughout the consultation period and beyond.

The precise design and scope of the power for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy is still under development and the Government welcomes engagement from the hospitality sector through the consultation process.

On business rates, many hospitality businesses have seen their independent valuations go up since the pandemic. For properties seeing bills go up our support package will cap most increases at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. We've also reduced tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties to rebalance the system for good.

On employer National insurance contributions, in the Government published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) which set out the impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 changes. The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from these changes by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change.

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 on (a) short-term lets, (b) holiday caravan pitches, (c) holiday caravan rentals, (d) YMCA hostels, (e) holiday campsites and (f) scout and girl guide campsites; and whether transit traveller sites will be exempt.

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

The government proposes that all types of commercially-let short-term accommodation should be within scope of a visitor levy, including short-term holiday lets as well as hotels, guesthouses etc, subject to local decisions on the scheme. Further information is set out on page 22 of the Visitor Levy Consultation published on 26 November. Consideration will be given to the types of accommodation in scope following consultation.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2025, to Question 23941, on Tourism: Taxation, and further to the MHCLG press release, "Levy on overnight trips will help mayors invest in local growth", of 25 November 2025, what was the rationale for the change in the Chancellor’s policy further to that set out in January.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government keeps all tax policy under review. The Government’s number one mission is to kickstart economic growth, and devolving fiscal powers is critical to achieving this.

Introducing powers to raise a visitor levy provides Mayors with a new lever to both raise and reinvest revenue locally. Mayors in Strategic Authorities have made clear that introducing a new, discretionary visitor levy power is one of their shared priorities for further devolution.

Found: James Cleverly MP, made a statement to the House of Commons on 25 March 2024 explaining how the 1 [