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 made an assessment of the potential impact of the empty homes council tax premium on financial incentives to councils to leave homes empty.

It is the government’s clear expectation that councils will take reasonable steps to bring empty homes in their area back into use. The premium is one of several levers councils have, to encourage owners of empty homes to bring them back into use. As we outlined in the English Devolution White Paper, we intend to strengthen the ability of councils to take over the management of empty homes. Further details will follow in due course.