Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 33161 on Fire and Rescue Services: Finance, how retained business rates are used to fund fire and rescue services.

The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement, including funding for Fire and Rescue Authorities, is distributed through the Settlement Funding Assessment. This funding includes Revenue Support Grant and retained business rates. The Settlement Funding Assessment uses a range of formulas to determine the relative funding need of areas, which when combined with a measure of tax base, determines their relative income. This includes the Fire and Rescue Formula, which consists of a basic allocation of funding per resident, with adjustments for coastline, population density and sparsity, deprivation, fire risk areas and community fire safety. Further details on the current funding methodology can be found online, within the ‘Calculation of 2013/14 Formula Funding’ page, linked here. The government is committed to introducing an improved and updated approach to funding local authorities, including Fire and Rescue Authorities, from 2026-27. We sought views on our principles and objectives for funding reform through a consultation which ran from 18 December 2024 - 12 February 2025.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 33161 on Fire and Rescue Services: Finance, what factors the funding formula uses to (a) determine and (b) distribute funding to fire and rescue services.

The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement, including funding for Fire and Rescue Authorities, is distributed through the Settlement Funding Assessment. This funding includes Revenue Support Grant and retained business rates. The Settlement Funding Assessment uses a range of formulas to determine the relative funding need of areas, which when combined with a measure of tax base, determines their relative income. This includes the Fire and Rescue Formula, which consists of a basic allocation of funding per resident, with adjustments for coastline, population density and sparsity, deprivation, fire risk areas and community fire safety. Further details on the current funding methodology can be found online, within the ‘Calculation of 2013/14 Formula Funding’ page, linked here. The government is committed to introducing an improved and updated approach to funding local authorities, including Fire and Rescue Authorities, from 2026-27. We sought views on our principles and objectives for funding reform through a consultation which ran from 18 December 2024 - 12 February 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on infrastructure development alongside new housing in Huntingdon constituency.

MHCLG Ministers regularly collaborate with official and Ministerial colleagues across government to deliver shared priorities, including in relation to the provision of housing and infrastructure.I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 26106 on 5 February 2025.

Communities and Local Government, how many people have been disqualified for holding elective office under Part 5 of the Elections Act 2022.

Under UK law, those convicted of intimidation or abuse of candidates, campaigners or elected office holders, may be subject to a five-year ban from standing for, or holding, elective office, in addition to any standard punishment for the underlying criminal offence. The disqualification can be imposed at the point of sentence before a criminal court, unless it is unjust in the circumstances to do so. The disqualification order came into force in November 2023, meaning that it has not been in place for a substantive period of time. We do not hold data on how many people have been disqualified

Communities and Local Government, from what year the population data used to calculate fire service funding is taken from.

The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement, including funding for Fire and Rescue Authorities is distributed through the Settlement Funding Assessment. This formula was introduced in 2013-14 and is based on the 2013 population projections from the 2011 census data. The formula also includes other variables that have a population measure in them such as density and sparsity which uses a mix of 2001 and 2011 census data.The previous government committed to improving and updating the way in which local authorities are funded through the “Fair Funding Review” but this was not delivered. We will make good on this commitment and implement long-awaited reforms through a multi-year settlement in 2026-27.As a core part of this plan, the government is committed to introducing an improved and updated approach to funding local authorities from 2026-27 and endeavours to use the most up to date data as part of the fundamental improvements we will make.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has prepared draft legislation to amend the Building Safety Act 2022.

The government will set out its legislative plans to Parliament in the usual way.

Communities and Local Government, when the next police and fire commissioner elections will take place where existing boundaries are not co-terminus.

As set out in the English Devolution White Paper, where mayoral geographies align with police force and fire and rescue geographies, Mayors will be, by default, responsible for exercising Police and Crime Commissioner and Fire and Rescue Authority functions.We will also explore whether a single Mayor can take responsibility for Police and Crime Commissioner and Fire and Rescue Authority functions across two or more police forces or two or more Fire and Rescue Authorities, where this would result in coterminous boundaries, and bring forward any legislative changes as part of the English Devolution Bill.Where Strategic Authorities do not currently align with these boundaries, or where alignment is not appropriate for new devolution areas, we will take steps to ensure alignment over the longer term.The timing of elections and the transfer of Police and Crime Commissioner functions will be determined in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department prepared an impact assessment on the restructuring of local government proposed in the Devolution White Paper (CP 1218), published on 16 December 2024.

The case for unitarisation in the English Devolution White Paper set out the opportunities available to areas for local government reorganisation. The potential impact of local government reorganisation on individual areas will be a matter for local councils to consider as they develop their proposals for reorganisation.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's Devolution White Paper (CP 1218), published on 16 December 2024, who will carry existing debt held by local authorities where a local government restructuring occurs.

It is the responsibility of councils to manage their budgets, and it is standard for councils to borrow and to hold debt, which they will do in the normal course of business. Local government re-organisation does not change this.

Communities and Local Government, what the projected cost to the public purse is of implementing the measures on local government within the the Devolution White Paper (CP 1218), published on 16 December 2024.

The English Devolution White Paper published on 16th December set out measures to support local government and drive the government’s ambitious agenda on devolution. Where these require legislative changes, the government will bring these forward in the English Devolution Bill. Future funding is a matter for the Spending Review.

Communities and Local Government, whether the conversion of a single property into a house of multiple occupancy increases the overall number of properties within the Government's housing stock figures.

The conversion of an existing residential property into a house of multiple occupancy would not normally count as a net additional dwelling in the official statistics on housing supply or dwelling stock estimates.Data for the housing supply release is collected from local authorities and the Greater London Authority (for London Boroughs). The official guidance for the data return is that a House in Multiple Occupation, cannot be counted as a net additional dwelling, as the house would have been counted as a net additional dwelling in a previous year.However, if a House in Multiple Occupation is created by change of use from a non-residential building, then it can be counted as one net additional dwelling.The official guidance can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, what the potential impact of local government reorganisation is on Police and Fire Commissioners who are coterminous with an existing combined authority.

The English Devolution White Paper set out the Government’s ambitions for devolution and local government reorganisation. Government's aim is for empowered, simplified, resilient and sustainable structures for local government. It will be essential for councils to work with local partners to develop plans for sustainable unitary structures capable of delivering the high-quality public services that residents need and deserve. We intend to formally invite unitary proposals from all councils in two-tier areas and their neighbouring small unitaries in January 2025. We will ask for interim plans in March and full proposals later in the year. The White Paper also set out that where geographies align with Police and Crime Commissioner and Fire and Rescue Authorities, Mayors will, by default, be responsible for those services.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to make renting easier for people with pets.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will give tenants the right to request a pet, which landlords must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with the (a) Cabinet colleagues, (b) local authorities and (c) water companies on the potential impact of the proposed Universal Studios theme par

Given this is a potential matter that may come before the Secretary of State for decision, it would not be appropriate to comment on planning merits of any Universal Studios proposal in Bedford.Planning decisions are not subject to Cabinet responsibility ...

Communities and Local Government, which agency leads the multi-agency response to flooding in Cambridgeshire.

Cambridgeshire constabulary will usually chair local strategic and tactical response coordination meetings attended by a range of relevant partners including the emergency services, local authorities, and the Environment Agency.Multi-agency flood response...

Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for the publication of her Department's response to the consultation on the Future Homes Standard.

The Future Homes and Buildings Standards consultation was published in December 2023 and closed in March 2024, and a Government response has not yet been issued. The consultation proposed that the new standards would apply to all new domestic and non-dome...

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 October 2024 to Question 6842 on Veterans: Homelessness, how many veterans have been denied allocation of social housing owing to not passing local co

The forthcoming changes to social housing allocations regulations will exempt all veterans from local connection and residency tests. Local councils will continue to design and operate allocations policies in a way that best meets the needs of local commu...

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 October 2024 to Question 6842 on Veterans: Homelessness, how many homeless veterans will eligible for social housing following the exemption of vetera

The forthcoming changes to social housing allocations regulations will exempt all veterans from local connection and residency tests. Local councils will continue to design and operate allocations policies in a way that best meets the needs of local commu...

Communities and Local Government, what the projected cost to the public purse will be of (a) introducing and (b) managing the Homes for Heroes scheme in (i) 2024-25 and (ii) 2025-26; and from which Department bud

On 24 September, the Prime Minister announced an ambition to house all veterans in housing need.As a result, the Department will bring forward changes to social housing allocations regulations to exempt all veterans, along with young care leavers and vict...

Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to (a) introduce, (b) manage and (c) monitor the effectiveness of the Homes for Heroes scheme.

On 24 September, the Prime Minister announced an ambition to house all veterans in housing need.As a result, the Department will bring forward changes to social housing allocations regulations to exempt all veterans, along with young care leavers and vict...