Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s length bodies have spent on (i) installing electric vehicle charging facilities and (ii) purchasing electric vehicles since 4 July 2024; and what estimate their Department has made of the difference in capital cost between (A) the electric vehicles purchased by their Department and (B) comparable (1) petrol and (2) diesel models.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department has not purchased any electric vehicles since 4 July 2024.
The Department has also not incurred any expenditure on the installation of electric vehicle charging facilities since 4 July 2024.
We do not hold information of this nature in relation to our arm’s length bodies.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 13 October 2025 to Question 77649 on Parking: Automatic Number Plate Recognition, whether the Government allows requests from (a) Patrol, (b) the British Parking Association and (c) the Local Government Association for the use of ANPR for civil parking enforcement in off-street parking; and if he will publish responses by his Department to representations made by those bodies on this issue since July 2024.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As stated in my response of 13 October to Question 77649, local authorities can use ANPR for civil parking enforcement. However, the Deregulation Act 2015 restricts the use of any surveillance technology by local authorities as the sole means of enforcing parking contraventions. In practice, this means that local authorities cannot issue Penalty Charge Notices by post following the detection of a parking contravention through surveillance technology, except in the limited circumstances set out in Regulation 10(2) of the Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Approved Devices, Charging Guidelines and General Provisions) (England) Regulations 2022.
In addition to the use of ANPR by local authorities, the 2024 letter from Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London (PATROL), the British Parking Association, and the Local Government Association raised other topics covering policy responsibilities of both the Department for Transport (DfT) and the MHCLG. At that time, my department issued a holding response, committing to provide a more substantive reply following a review of private parking charges. This response has not yet been provided as the department is still considering its response to the consultation on the Code of Practice for private parking which included proposals on private parking charges.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 compliance with ecological mitigation and enhancement conditions attached to planning permissions; and if he will publish post-occupancy monitoring data on the implementation of (a) bird boxes, (b) hedgehog highways, (c) tree planting and (d) other biodiversity features.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Monitoring and ensuring compliance with ecological conditions attached to planning permissions are matters for local planning authorities who already have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, to use as they consider appropriate.
For a summary of the steps the government is taking to support capacity and capability within local planning authorities, including within their enforcement teams, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 67508 on 14 July 2025.
In respect of post-occupancy monitoring, my Department does not collect the data requested.
Officials in my Department have engaged with Natural England and local planning authorities about the monitoring of biodiversity enhancements, particularly in relation to the implementation of biodiversity net gain.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to improve the enforcement of ecological conditions attached to planning consents; and whether he has had recent discussions with (a) Natural England and (b) local planning authorities on improving post-occupancy inspections of biodiversity enhancements.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Monitoring and ensuring compliance with ecological conditions attached to planning permissions are matters for local planning authorities who already have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, to use as they consider appropriate.
For a summary of the steps the government is taking to support capacity and capability within local planning authorities, including within their enforcement teams, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 67508 on 14 July 2025.
In respect of post-occupancy monitoring, my Department does not collect the data requested.
Officials in my Department have engaged with Natural England and local planning authorities about the monitoring of biodiversity enhancements, particularly in relation to the implementation of biodiversity net gain.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 October 2025 to Question 78690 on Car Parks: Surveillance, whether his Department plans to amend (a) guidance and (b) regulations on the use of automatic number plate recognition technology in municipal car parks.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 30th October 2025 to question 85357 where I confirmed that the government has no plans to amend the current restrictions regarding Automatic Number Plate Recognition for local authorities.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 October to Question 78690 on Automatic Number Plate Recognition, whether his Department plans to change rules on the use of automatic number plate recognition in municipal car parks.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), or indeed any surveillance technology, as the sole means of enforcement of parking contraventions by local authorities was restricted by the Deregulation Act 2015.
The government has received advice from the Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London Committee (PATROL), along with the British Parking Association and the Local Government Association, which calls for the granting of ANPR powers to local councils for civil parking enforcement.
The Government has no plans to amend these restrictions as the current ruling ensures non-compliant motorists are made aware that they are contravening parking restrictions at the time of the contravention.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 local authorities and parking operators on the use of automatic number plate recognition in municipal car parks since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 77649 on 13 October 2025.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what representations his Department has received on the use of ANPR in municipal car parks since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In January 2024, Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London (PATROL), together with the British Parking Association and the Local Government Association written jointly to the department and the Department for Transport recommending that the government grant ANPR powers for civil parking enforcement.
The use of ANPR, or indeed any surveillance technology, as the sole means of enforcement of parking contravention by Local Authorities has been restricted by the Deregulation Act 2015. This means that local authorities cannot issue Penalty Charge Notices via post following the detection of a parking contravention by surveillance technology in all but a limited number of cases; for example, if the motorist drives away before the ticket can be issued or in certain circumstances on-street like bus lanes and red routes. This is to make non-compliant motorists aware that they are contravening parking restrictions at the time of the contravention.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued guidance to local highways authorities on the placement of not formally authorised (a) flags, (b) banners and (c) advertisements from (i) lampposts and (ii) other local authority street furniture since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government supports the flying of flags across the country. Flags should be an embodiment of bringing our country and our communities together. Guidance exists, such as ‘Flying flags: a plain English guide” - as set out in the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007 (as amended in 2012 and 2021) – which outlines the regulations related to the flying of flags in England.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to support the development of local industrial strategies for financial and related professional services in Essex.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Greater Essex is part of the Devolution Priority Programme, which aims to see a new Mayoral Strategic Authority established by spring 2026. If a Mayoral Strategic Authority is established, it will need to develop a Local Growth Plan to provide a long-term strategic framework for growth in the region. Foundation Strategic Authorities and Local Authorities in non-devolution are also encouraged to set out a vision for growth in their area that builds on existing local economic strategies where possible. The Industrial Strategy Sector Plans for Financial Services and Professional and Business Services include measures to grow these sectors across the UK.