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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for measures to allow councils to charge a 100 per cent council tax premium on empty homes will come into force.

The Government has confirmed that it will bring forward measures to double the 50 per cent cap on the council tax empty homes premium to allow local authorities to strengthen the incentive for owners of long-term empty properties to bring them back into use. This will require amendments to primary legislation. We will introduce the necessary legislation as soon as possible.