Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 June 2026, to Question 5418, on Electoral Register, whether her Department has considered the potential for asymmetric effects on the equality of boundary reviews and electoral quotas by (a) the Parliamentary Boundary Commissions and (b) Local Government Boundary Commissions, of automatic voter registration pilots which were not universal across localities with scope of the relevant reviews.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As set out in the Representation of the People Bill, the Government intends to move towards more automated forms of electoral registration, in order to increase the completeness and accuracy of electoral registers, and make registration easier. In line with other recent developments in electoral administration, conducting short term pilots in a range of local authority areas will play a crucial role in achieving these longer term objectives, by helping to ensure that any implementation of permanent changes to electoral registration result in more eligible people being accurately registered.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether it is her Department’s policy to follow the six month Gould Principle in relation to (a) the commencement of the measures in the Representation of the People Bill and (b) changes to election timetables and boundaries in relation to local government restructuring.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government aspires to follow the Gould principle wherever relevant, but we recognise that in some situations this may not be possible. We continue to work closely with stakeholders on implementation of the Representation of the People Bill, and with councils on local government restructuring, to ensure that they have the clarity and support that they need, and appropriate time to prepare to deliver any changes successfully.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether all grants to political parties from the Westminster Foundation for Democracy will still be deemed to be a permissible donor under the new corporate donation provisions of the Representation of the People Bill.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 28655 on 28 September 2026.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the potential of automatic voter registration to result in (a) ineligible electors being left on the electoral roll, after they have moved and (b) the adding of ineligible electors on the electoral roll.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Improving the completeness and accuracy of electoral registers is at the heart of the Government’s electoral reforms. New approaches to registration will be assessed robustly through pilots, as well as through ongoing consultation with the electoral sector. Under the piloting powers in the Representation of the People Bill, the Electoral Commission will be required to provide a report assessing the extent to which the objectives of any pilots undertaken using the Bill powers were achieved.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 Flexible Voting Pilot 2027: prospectus, published on 24 August 2026, section 5, for what reason pilot schemes are not open to areas electing shadow unitary authorities.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The flexible voting pilots are being conducted using powers under section 10 of the Representation of the People Act 2000, which provides for pilot schemes at local elections.
Under that Act, the relevant authority must apply to the Secretary of State to run a pilot. As the shadow unitary authorities do not yet have formal legal status as local authorities in law and did not do so prior to the pilot scheme application deadline, they cannot make such an application and therefore cannot pilot at the May 2027 elections.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether any assessment has been made of the level of foreign funding of (a) far left and (b) far right non-party organisations in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Electoral law regulates donations to registered non-party campaigners. Non-party campaigners spending over £10,000 during a regulated period have to register with the Electoral Commission and can only accept donations from permissible sources.
The government welcomes the Rycroft Review recommendation on non-party campaigning and agrees that the current rules need to be strengthened.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, whether the (a) Law Officers and (b) Government Legal Department has issued guidance on Norwich Pharmacal Orders other than privileged legal advice.
Answered by Andy Slaughter - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
We do not hold any specific guidance on Norwich Pharmacal Orders.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, whether the Law Officers have approved the retrospective provisions of an enhanced residency test in the proposed overseas contributor cap.
Answered by Andy Slaughter - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
By long-standing convention, recognised by successive Governments, the seeking, preparation, and content of Law Officer advice relating to the Law Officers’ advisory functions are not disclosed outside of Government. This is reflected in paragraph 5.14 of the Ministerial Code.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government has replied to the letter sent to the Prime Minister by the council leaders of Wandsworth, Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea of August 2026 on council tax rises and cuts to local government funding.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department regularly engages with correspondence from local authorities and sector representatives on local government finance matters, and carefully considers the views provided. The Department does not routinely comment on correspondence with individual stakeholders.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 21225 on Freedom of Information and Written Questions, whether there is a (a) minute and (b) speaking note for that briefing.
Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
In line with the longstanding approach taken over successive administrations, there are no plans to publish ministerial briefing. The release of this information would prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs and adversely affect the principle of free and frank advice.