Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2026 to Question HL478, on Interreg Europe, whether HM Government intends to discuss joining or contributing to EU Interreg in relation to Great Britain.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds

We recognise the value of the UK associating to EU programmes. Each EU programme is different and association to these programmes are made on a case by case basis, in line with the national interest.

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 June 2026 to Question 5349 on Sustainable Communities Act 2007, when was the last (a) proposal submitted to the Secretary of State and (b) invitation to local authorities under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007; and whether he has plans to encourage more proposals.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The last proposal submitted under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 was in November 2019.

The government issued the second invitation to local authorities to submit proposals under the Act in 2010, and that invitation remains open.

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 23 June 2026 to Question 9592 on Local Government: Elections, what is the total sum that has now been paid from HM Government to the claimant, including both the initial payment and the payment of 5 May 2026.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 9592 on 23 June 2026. The government agreed to meet the claimant’s reasonable legal costs, in line with standard practice where proceedings are settled. Those costs have now been agreed and paid in full.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of (a) the Makerfield Parliamentary by-election and (b) Parliamentary by-elections in general; and what information his Department holds on the cost of (i) the Greater Manchester mayoralty by-election and (ii) combined authority mayoral by-elections in general.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

The estimated costs of parliamentary by-elections, including the Makerfield parliamentary by-election, are set out in the relevant schedule of The Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers’ Charges) Order 2024.

Local elections, including the costs of mayoral elections are met by local authorities and are not held centrally, with each authority responsible for managing and retaining its own election cost data. The Government is therefore unable to provide this information.

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 17 June 2026, to Question 8263, on Political Parties: Finance, on what date were political parties informed that the retrospective ban from 25 March 2026 would also apply to donations below the £500 and £50 thresholds.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

Political parties were informed of the moratorium on crypto asset donations of any value, including those thresholds, in the Secretary of State’s announcement on 25 March 2026.

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 29 June 2026, to Question 11405, on Members and Political Parties: Finance, whether local accounting units will be required to undertake due diligence on donations below £11,180 if (a) their national political party or (b) another local accounting unit within that party, has accepted donations from the same donor in the same year which would aggregate above £11,180.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

All donations with a value above £500 must be checked for permissibility in accordance with the requirements set out in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (PPERA).

The Know Your Donor regime will introduce new risk-based due diligence checks on significant political donations. As provided for in the Representation of the People Bill 2026, all recipients of political donations will need to carry out enhanced Know Your Donor due diligence checks on donations over £11,180, including where relevant donations are received across different parts of a political party’s organisation.

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 June 2026 to Question HL325 on Local Government: Elections, if he will make it his policy to bring the other new combined authority mayoral elections forward to May 2027.

Answered by Nesil Caliskan

There are currently no plans to bring forward the mayoral elections in Greater Essex, Hampshire and the Solent, Norfolk and Suffolk, or Sussex and Brighton.

As previously stated, the government remains committed to the indicative timetable for local government reorganisation set out in July 2025, which will see new unitary authorities created in April 2028. We intend to hold inaugural mayoral elections in the four new combined authority areas in May 2028 to allow them to first complete the reorganisation process and ensure there are firm institutional foundations in place before the mayor takes office.

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 press release entitled Pubs, shops and local assets protected with communities in charge, of 16 June 2026, what is the allocation of funding in each year of the spending review under the wider £301 million package, and what is the profile and funding to the individual elements within that package; whether the £61 million is part of, or in addition to that funding; and whether it is part of or in addition to the wider Pride in Place funding.

Answered by Nesil Caliskan

The newly announced Pride in Place Community Right to Buy Fund, backed by £61 million, will empower local people to take control of valued local assets and is additional to our wider investment in communities including the £5.8 billion Pride in Place Programme.

This funding forms part of the £301m earmarked to support our high streets and community spaces. Within this package, £10 million will fund High Street Rental Auctions to bring vacant properties back into use. We will also establish new High Street Innovation Partnerships, supporting some of the most challenged high streets to transition to more resilient, mixed-use models.

Further details will be set out in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department has made on the appointment of the Special Representative for Anti-Muslim Hostility; whether it will be a regulated public appointment, a special adviser or direct ministerial appointment; whether it has been advertised; and whether it will be appointed by open and fair competition.

Answered by Nesil Caliskan

The Terms of Reference and appointment process for the Special Representative on anti-Muslim hostility will be published in due course.

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 Deposited Paper, DEP2026-0371, committed on 19 May 2026, on Civil Service facility time framework and guidance, and with reference to the DCLG guidance, Taxpayer funding of trade unions, of March 2013, whether his Department plans to issue revised guidance to local government on trade union facility time.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The 2013 DCLG guidance ‘Taxpayer funding of trade unions’ has been superseded by the Local Government Transparency Code 2015 and the Employment Rights Act 2025. The Transparency Code requires local authorities to annually publish certain information regarding trade union facility time. We are keeping the Transparency Code under review in the context of wider work on the local government accountability system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether standalone air conditioning units have permitted development rights in dwellings.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

There are no permitted development rights for standalone air conditioning units. However, in certain circumstances, planning permission is not required where it would not materially affect the external appearance of the building. Part P of the Building Regulations (electrical safety) may also apply to installing a standalone air conditioning unit, where a system or the wiring required for it is fixed to a building, so Building Control approval may need to be sought.

There is a permitted development right for domestic air source heat pumps. The right was amended in 2025 to allow for the heat pumps to also be used for cooling to permit the installation of air-to-air heat pumps.

The permitted development right requires that heat pump installations are compliant with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme 020 a) Planning Standard, which provides a noise assessment methodology including an upper noise limit at neighbouring habitable room windows.

Part L (energy efficiency) and P (electrical safety) of the Building Regulations must be complied with when installing an air-to-air heat pump, and it is possible Building Control approval may be needed.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, MHCLG consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to noise pollution. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what dwellinghouse (i) building standards and (ii) building regulations cover (a) standalone air conditioning units and (b) air to air heat pumps, and what noise limits apply to each.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

There are no permitted development rights for standalone air conditioning units. However, in certain circumstances, planning permission is not required where it would not materially affect the external appearance of the building. Part P of the Building Regulations (electrical safety) may also apply to installing a standalone air conditioning unit, where a system or the wiring required for it is fixed to a building, so Building Control approval may need to be sought.

There is a permitted development right for domestic air source heat pumps. The right was amended in 2025 to allow for the heat pumps to also be used for cooling to permit the installation of air-to-air heat pumps.

The permitted development right requires that heat pump installations are compliant with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme 020 a) Planning Standard, which provides a noise assessment methodology including an upper noise limit at neighbouring habitable room windows.

Part L (energy efficiency) and P (electrical safety) of the Building Regulations must be complied with when installing an air-to-air heat pump, and it is possible Building Control approval may be needed.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, MHCLG consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to noise pollution. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, further to the answer of 15 June 2026, to Question HL475, on Candidates: Equality, whether data is collected from political parties on the regulatory cost of such a provision; what elections will it apply to; and what protected characteristics will be mandatory to collect and report.

Answered by Seema Malhotra

I refer the Hon member to the answer given to PQ HL475. Office for Equality and Opportunity officials are currently exploring when and how to commence the provision under Section 106.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the the term limits for the positions unitary authorities elected in May 2027.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

If the Secretary of State decides to implement a proposal for unitary local government, secondary legislation, which will be subject to Parliamentary approval, will be required to abolish existing councils, establish new structures and make transitional arrangements. Those transitional arrangements, consistent with precedent, would include replacing scheduled local elections in May 2027 with elections for the new councils.

Those councillors elected to new councils in May 2027 will operate initially as councillors for shadow unitary authorities, before the new councils take on full responsibilities and go live in April 2028. The councillors serving in the existing councils being abolished that would ordinarily have had elections in May 2027 will have their terms extended for 11 months to the end of March 2028 to cover the transition period. Term lengths for councillors elected to the new councils will be provided for in the secondary legislation required to implement any proposal.

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 2 March 2026 to Question 113737 on Council Tax: City of Westminster and Wandsworth, what is the level of core spending power in cash terms in each of the six councils for the next two financial years without the £150 increase in Band D council tax.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Council tax levels are decided by councils. The government does not intend to set council tax referendum principles for six local authorities (Westminster, Windsor and Maidenhead, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, City of London, and Wandsworth) in financial years 2027-28 and 2028-29. For these authorities, the estimate made by the government assumes a 3% core principle, a 2% adult social care precept and a £150 increase in Band D council tax.

Core Spending Power allocations for individual local authorities through the final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026-27 and 2028-29 can be found here. The government does not publish alternative council tax scenarios for Core Spending Power.

The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement makes available £78 billion in CSP for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% cash-terms increase compared to 2025–26.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to approve new unitary council structures where new unitary council wards cross and split existing (a) district wards, (b) unitary wards and (c) county divisions.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Secretary of State's consideration of local government reorganisation proposals is based on information provided by councils, representations received through the statutory consultation process, and official advice and analysis drawing on published sources and sector data. Decisions on individual proposals are taken on their merits, having regard to all relevant information available.

The Government has been clear that local suggestions may be built from existing district wards, unitary wards, county divisions, parish boundaries or parish wards, including a mix of these electoral areas where appropriate.

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 holds an estimate on the average unit cost of a local government by-election.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

The funding of costs necessarily incurred for the delivery of local government by-elections is a matter for local authorities. The Government does not hold information on the average unit cost of a local government by-election.

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 21 April 2026 to Question 124762 on Political Parties: Finance, whether the new Section 54A requirement will be in addition to a requirement for an overseas elector to make a declaration on their donations.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

Under our amendment to the Representation of the People Bill, an overseas elector will be required to provide a declaration for their donation to be permissible. A declaration from an overseas elector must include the individual’s full name and address; whether they are an overseas contributor, the value of the main donation, and the date on which the declaration is made.

In addition to this, the Government will seek to introduce a requirement for all donors making donations with above a certain threshold to submit a declaration with their donation. The information in this declaration will include the requirements set out under Section 54A.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether under the proposed Know You Donor regime for political donations, donations to local accounting units may be aggregated with parallel donations to other local accounting units in the same calendar year, for the purposes of the due diligence checks before a donation is accepted.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

The proposed Know Your Donor regime requires aggregation of relevant donations and benefits from the same donor when determining whether the £11,180 threshold for a risk assessment has been reached. Once that threshold is met, a risk assessment is required before the donation may be accepted.

The threshold for conducting a risk assessment could be reached through a combination of donations from different accounting units and the central party in the same calendar year which, when aggregated together, exceed the £11,180 threshold.

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 17 June 2026 to Question 8094 on Polling Stations: Pilot schemes, who discussions are taking place with; and whether they include (a) councillors and (b) political parties.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

At this stage, discussions are primarily internal. The Government will engage with other relevant stakeholders as appropriate as future piloting proposals are developed further.

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 had discussions with the House of Commons (a) Standards Committee, (b) Registrar and (c) Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards on proposed reforms on political donations to and reporting by hon. Members.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

The Government has engaged extensively with stakeholders on the political finance measures contained in the Representation of the People Bill, including the Electoral Commission, the National Crime Agency, political parties and parliamentary colleagues. Ministers have also engaged with Members of both Houses during the Bill's passage.

There will be further opportunities for parliamentary scrutiny and debate as the Bill continues through the House of Commons.

The measures in the Bill concern political finance law and do not alter the House of Commons Code of Conduct or rules on the registration and declaration of Members’ interests, which are matters for Parliament.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether new corporate donation rules will apply to Representation of the People Act candidate donations.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

The Government has tabled an amendment in the House of Commons at Report stage of the Representation of the People Bill to ensure that the new corporate donation rules introduced will also apply to donations made to candidates under the Representation of the People Act 1983, to ensure that these donations come from permissible sources.

This is consistent with our wider intent to tighten the rules governing company donations, improving transparency and strengthening trust in UK politics.

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 17 June 2026 to Question 8263 on Political Parties: Finance, how the ban on cryptocurrency donation will be enforced for donations made before the legislation commences.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

As announced by the Secretary of State on 25 March 2026, any donations in crypto assets accepted on or after 25 March will not be permitted. Following commencement of these provisions in the Bill, recipients will have 30 days to return or forfeit these donations. Following this, enforcement action may be taken.

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 22 June 2026 to Question 5340 on MHCLG: Darlington, what was the average percentage attendance rate of assigned Darlington staff in the most recent working week for which figures are available, expressed as percentage of assigned staff attending the workplace.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

In the most recent working week for which figures are available, 44% of staff assigned to the Darlington office attended the workplace. This equates to attendance by 74 staff from a total assigned workforce of 168 colleagues based in Darlington.

Richard Pengelly

Found: 4,479 4,479 Aaron Bell Assistant Government Whip (from 15/11/2023 to 05/07/2024) – – 4,479 4,479 Paul Holmes