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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether revenues from selective licensing charges on private rented sector landlords (a) are ringfenced and (b) can be applied to the general revenue account; and whether councils can charge above cost recovery.

Selective licensing fees paid by landlords to local authorities should only be used to cover the costs of running schemes. Local authorities are not expected to profit from licensing, nor should they use licensing revenues to fund other local authority services.