Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether grants to political parties through the Westminster Foundation for Democracy will be permissible given the new profit test for company donations in the Representation of the People Bill.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We are legislating in the Representation of the People Bill so that companies that wish to make political donations will need to meet new eligibility criteria showing they have made sufficient profit to fund their donations; and that they are majority owned or controlled by UK electors or citizens.
There are many legitimate non-profit organisations that are established as companies. These companies may still be eligible to make donations provided they can provide evidence of income equivalent to profit, in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
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 new profit test for political donations, whether there will be bespoke provisions for not-for-profit registered companies which do not make a profit as part of their articles of association or structure.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We acknowledge that there are many legitimate non-profit organisations that are established as companies. These companies may still be eligible to make donations, provided they can provide evidence of income equivalent to profit, in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
Non-profit community interest companies will also need to demonstrate that they meet all other permissibility criteria; they must be headquartered and incorporated in the UK, carrying out business in the UK, and where there are Persons of Significant Control, they must be UK electors or British citizens.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
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 Dear Colleague letter on Introducing No10 North, of 1 September 2026, whether the policy of devolution by default will apply to requests for devolution by (a) principal local councils and (b) town and parish councils.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Right to Request was introduced by the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, and allows Mayors of Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities to submit requests for new powers and funding, and the Government then has six months to respond. This process is specific to the powers and funding for strategic authorities, and which levers over growth and public services need to be devolved down from Westminster and Whitehall.
As outlined in the Rewiring the State publication on 31 July, the Government will be working in partnership with local authorities and the community sector, alongside strategic authorities and other local partners, to develop our white paper on how the state will be rewired to ensure we are delivering good growth and public services in every postcode. Devolution is not just about transferring new powers to strategic authorities, and we are committed to strengthening the role of local authorities and communities across the country.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
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, what specific activities were funded through the £25,000 of departmental funding to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets via the Common Ground Resilience Fund.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer to UIN 19120 on 1 September 2026.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
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 her Department's press release entitled Review of local government reorganisation launched, published on 7 September 2026, whether local authorities will be required to submit proposals for interim warding arrangements to her Department by the specified deadline; and if she will publish all correspondence to her Department from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England which relates to advice and legal opinions on the creation of interim warding arrangements.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 7 September 2026 the Secretary of State announced to Parliament that a review of the local government reorganisation programme would be undertaken and that reorganisation activity in affected areas should be paused while the Government considers next steps. The Government wants to ensure that the programme is aligned with its wider ambitions for effective and sustainable local government and the devolution of power to local areas, including in rural areas.
In light of that position and the review, the Government is not currently progressing work on interim warding arrangements and will set out any future requirements relating to local government reorganisation following consideration of these matters. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is an independent body responsible for electoral arrangements for local authorities. It is a longstanding principle that the Government does not comment on or publish legal advice.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the council tax surcharge will be levied on HMOs not subdivided into individual dwellings; and whether there will be any exemption.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has consulted on the surcharge, including the treatment of different property types and possible exemptions and will publish a response in due course.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Number 10 press release entitled and Burnham means business: PM slashes business rates bills for pubs, clubs and live music venues, published on 23 July 2026, whether the new pub relief will apply to (a) premises paying the high value business rate surcharge, (b) private members' clubs which are not open to the general public, including venues with a club premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003, (c) hotels, (d) nightclubs which do not play live music, (e) pubs with hotel rooms classified by the HMRC Valuation Office under Special Category Code 227 and (f) restaurants with a bar open to the general public for drinks.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The 20 per cent relief announced in July will be available for all pubs, social clubs and all but the very largest live music venues.
The scope of the 20 per cent relief will broadly mirror the scope of the existing 15 per cent relief. [1]
Eligible social clubs must be open to the general public and permit drinks to be purchased at a bar. Social clubs include working men's clubs, ex-servicemen's clubs and other community membership clubs that are open to broad sections of the local community.
The 20 per cent relief will be awarded at the discretion of Local Authorities, who will determine eligibility using guidance published by the Government and based on existing definitions.
The Government will set out further details of the relief, including the treatment of the very largest venues, at the Budget.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pubs-and-live-music-venues-relief
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will set out the property attribute information HMRC Valuation Office seeks to collect during a site visit when undertaking a valuation of a dwelling for council tax.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Valuation Office (VO) carries out property inspections to establish and record facts relating to property on a case by case basis. The same categories of property attribute information are collected for Council Tax purposes in England and Wales. Further information about the property attribute information held for Council Tax purposes is available in the published guidance: Property attribute data (PAD). Additional information may be sought from the taxpayer in line with section 27 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.