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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether council tax referendum provisions will be applied to new (a) town and (b) parish councils established in new unitary areas.

In 2025-26 the Government has not set referendum principles for town and parish councils. The Government encourages councils to be mindful of the impact on tax payers when setting precepts. Decisions taken by town and parish councils in 2025-26 will be taken into account by the Government when considering referendum principles in future years.