Written questions by Simmonds.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department provides to the Electoral Registration Offices on the mechanisms by which qualified EU nationals should be verified for their eligibility to join the local electoral roll; what guidance her Department provides to ensure that non-qualified individuals are not signed up to the electoral roll; and what assessment she is made of the merits of automatic electoral registration in this context.

Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are responsible for maintaining accurate electoral registers. As part of the voter registration process, applicants must declare their nationality. EROs hold legal powers which allow them to request documentary evidence to confirm an applicant’s nationality if they are not satisfied as to any applicant's nationality. The application form to register to vote is clear about the possibility of applicants being required to provide additional evidence about their nationality, and that their nationality or immigration status may be checked against government records. The Electoral Commission has also published guidance for EROs on the types of evidence they may request, and advice on how to check immigration records held by the Home Office. The Government is committed to improving electoral registration. We are exploring a wide range of options to deliver on this manifesto commitment, including making greater use of data and online Government services. Any changes will be based on robust evidence and user research.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 2 September 2024 on Building Safety, HCWS62, what the evidential basis is for the proposition that the European standard (BS EN 13501) is more rigorous and robust than the British fire door testing standard (BS 476-22).

The withdrawal of National Classes fire testing standards (BS 476) from Approved Document B in favour of the European Standard (BS EN 13501) aimed to enhance fire protection by simplifying compliance routes within the guidance. This change makes it easier and clearer to ensure products meet required standards and enabling simpler performance comparison. The suitability of BS 476 and the transition to the EN standard was also scrutinised during the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. The EN suite of standards is constantly reviewed, periodically updated, and does not rely on withdrawn standards and is therefore seen as more suitable in the long term. The consultation response published alongside the Written Statement on 2 September 2024 shows a majority of respondents were in support of moving to the European Standard. The Building Safety Regulator will keep these standards under review as part of their continuous review of Approved Document B, in line with their duty under the Building Safety Act to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review in England.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has provided to Electoral Registration Offices on the mechanisms by which qualified Commonwealth citizens should be verified for their eligibility to join the local government and UK Parliamentary electoral roll; what guidance her Department has provided on what steps should be taken to ensure that non-qualified Commonwealth individuals are not signed up to the electoral roll; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of automatic voter registration on that issue.

Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are responsible for maintaining accurate electoral registers. As part of the voter registration process, applicants must declare their nationality. EROs hold legal powers which allow them to request documentary evidence to confirm an applicant’s nationality if they are not satisfied as to any applicant's nationality. The application form to register to vote is clear about the possibility of applicants being required to provide additional evidence about their nationality, and that their nationality or immigration status may be checked against government records. The Electoral Commission has also published guidance for EROs on the types of evidence they may request, and advice on how to check immigration records held by the Home Office. The Government is committed to improving electoral registration. We are exploring a wide range of options to deliver on this manifesto commitment, including making greater use of data and online Government services. Any changes will be based on robust evidence and user research.

Communities and Local Government, whether a business case was prepared for her visit to Ethiopia; and whether she plans to make other foreign visits.

All ministerial visits are assessed against the government’s domestic and international priorities in the normal way. As set out on gov.uk, the Deputy Prime Minister’s role includes acting in support of the government’s international agenda, including through overseas travel.

Pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 23 April 2025, HCWS593, on Extending licensing hours for the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe Day, whether her Department made an assessment of the potential merits to the hospitality sector of extending the licensing hours on the Friday 8 May in addition.

Licensing hours in England and Wales were extended on Thursday 8 May to mark the 80th anniversary of VE day.

What information her Department holds on whether the (a) College of Policing and (b) National Police Chiefs’ Council has provided guidance to police forces on election purdah.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) ‘Pre-Election Period Guidance’ provides advice to officers and staff on maintaining impartiality and managing interactions with candidates during the pre-election period. The guidance covers principles of conduct, publicity, and appropriate engagement with political figures. It was most recently updated in 2024 and is available online at: https://www.npcc.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/publications/publications-log/npcc/2024/npcc-pre-election-period-guidance.pdfThe College of Policing also provide Authorised Professional Practice (APP) guidance in relation to election law and the policing of elections. This can be found online at: https://www.college.police.uk/app/policing-elections?s=

Communities and Local Government, what criteria will her Department use to determine whether scheduled elections in 2026 (a) will and (b) will not be postponed in the context of the ongoing two-tier local government restructuring.

There are no plans to postpone council elections in 2026. The government’s starting point is for all elections to go ahead unless there is strong justification.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed transition period for moving from the BS 476-22 national fire door safety testing standard to the EN1634-1 standard on (a) the productivity of and (b) costs to timber fire door manufacturers.

On 2 September 2024, the Government announced the withdrawal of National Classes fire testing standards from Approved Document B, ending the dual classification system in favour of the European Standard (BS EN 13501). This change aimed to enhance fire protection by simplifying compliance routes within Approved Document B (ADB) and followed scrutiny during the Grenfell Tower Inquiry where the suitability of BS 476 was questioned. The Government recognises the potential economic impact that could result from this change. The overall impact and associated benefits were carefully evaluated to inform the policy decision and are set out in the Impact Assessment that accompanied the policy announcement. Market analysis and sector engagement showed limited impact on developers for the reaction to fire classification. Changes took effect on 2nd March 2025, with a six-month transition period provided for fire reaction. We identified a larger impact on sectors involved in bespoke wooden fire doors, cavity barriers, smoke vents, and roofs due to re-testing requirements for the fire resistance classification. Concerns were also raised about testing site capacity. An extended transition period of 5 years was developed through discussions with the sector allowing manufacturers time to retest their products ahead of compliance with BS EN 13501 coming into force on 2nd September 2029. We and the Building Safety Regulator will continue to support industry to develop new standards and testing capacity to minimise disruption to supply chains through the transitional period. The Building Safety Regulator will keep these standards under review as part of their continuous review of Approved Document B, in line with their duty under the Building Safety Act to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review in England.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an estimate of the testing site capacity required to carry-out fire door tests for the new European Standard (EN1634-1) classification within the proposed transition period.

On 2 September 2024, the Government announced the withdrawal of National Classes fire testing standards from Approved Document B, ending the dual classification system in favour of the European Standard (BS EN 13501). This change aimed to enhance fire protection by simplifying compliance routes within Approved Document B (ADB) and followed scrutiny during the Grenfell Tower Inquiry where the suitability of BS 476 was questioned. The Government recognises the potential economic impact that could result from this change. The overall impact and associated benefits were carefully evaluated to inform the policy decision and are set out in the Impact Assessment that accompanied the policy announcement. Market analysis and sector engagement showed limited impact on developers for the reaction to fire classification. Changes took effect on 2nd March 2025, with a six-month transition period provided for fire reaction. We identified a larger impact on sectors involved in bespoke wooden fire doors, cavity barriers, smoke vents, and roofs due to re-testing requirements for the fire resistance classification. Concerns were also raised about testing site capacity. An extended transition period of 5 years was developed through discussions with the sector allowing manufacturers time to retest their products ahead of compliance with BS EN 13501 coming into force on 2nd September 2029. We and the Building Safety Regulator will continue to support industry to develop new standards and testing capacity to minimise disruption to supply chains through the transitional period. The Building Safety Regulator will keep these standards under review as part of their continuous review of Approved Document B, in line with their duty under the Building Safety Act to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review in England.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to pause the proposed move from the British fire door safety testing standard (BS 476-22) to the European Standard (EN 1634-1) until the current review of the European Standard has been completed.

On 2 September 2024, the Government announced the withdrawal of National Classes fire testing standards from Approved Document B, ending the dual classification system in favour of the European Standard (BS EN 13501). This change aimed to enhance fire protection by simplifying compliance routes within Approved Document B (ADB) and followed scrutiny during the Grenfell Tower Inquiry where the suitability of BS 476 was questioned. The Government recognises the potential economic impact that could result from this change. The overall impact and associated benefits were carefully evaluated to inform the policy decision and are set out in the Impact Assessment that accompanied the policy announcement. Market analysis and sector engagement showed limited impact on developers for the reaction to fire classification. Changes took effect on 2nd March 2025, with a six-month transition period provided for fire reaction. We identified a larger impact on sectors involved in bespoke wooden fire doors, cavity barriers, smoke vents, and roofs due to re-testing requirements for the fire resistance classification. Concerns were also raised about testing site capacity. An extended transition period of 5 years was developed through discussions with the sector allowing manufacturers time to retest their products ahead of compliance with BS EN 13501 coming into force on 2nd September 2029. We and the Building Safety Regulator will continue to support industry to develop new standards and testing capacity to minimise disruption to supply chains through the transitional period. The Building Safety Regulator will keep these standards under review as part of their continuous review of Approved Document B, in line with their duty under the Building Safety Act to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review in England.

Communities and Local Government, what the evidential basis is for proposals to remove the national BS 476-22 classification for fire door resistance from Approved Document B.

On 2 September 2024, the Government announced the withdrawal of National Classes fire testing standards from Approved Document B, ending the dual classification system in favour of the European Standard (BS EN 13501). This change aimed to enhance fire protection by simplifying compliance routes within Approved Document B (ADB) and followed scrutiny during the Grenfell Tower Inquiry where the suitability of BS 476 was questioned. The Government recognises the potential economic impact that could result from this change. The overall impact and associated benefits were carefully evaluated to inform the policy decision and are set out in the Impact Assessment that accompanied the policy announcement. Market analysis and sector engagement showed limited impact on developers for the reaction to fire classification. Changes took effect on 2nd March 2025, with a six-month transition period provided for fire reaction. We identified a larger impact on sectors involved in bespoke wooden fire doors, cavity barriers, smoke vents, and roofs due to re-testing requirements for the fire resistance classification. Concerns were also raised about testing site capacity. An extended transition period of 5 years was developed through discussions with the sector allowing manufacturers time to retest their products ahead of compliance with BS EN 13501 coming into force on 2nd September 2029. We and the Building Safety Regulator will continue to support industry to develop new standards and testing capacity to minimise disruption to supply chains through the transitional period. The Building Safety Regulator will keep these standards under review as part of their continuous review of Approved Document B, in line with their duty under the Building Safety Act to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review in England.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to replace the Exceptional Financial Support regime with long term debt-restructuring.

We are under no illusion about the fragile state of the sector and the pressures that some councils are facing, and recognise the potential for continued instability as we work to fix the foundations of local government. That is why we have a framework in place to support councils in the most difficult financial positions. On 20 February 2025 we wrote to thirty councils to confirm in-principle support, primarily in the form of capitalisation, through the Exceptional Financial Support process. It is the responsibility of councils to manage their budgets, and it is standard for councils to borrow and to hold debt in the normal course of business. There are councils currently under statutory Best Value intervention that hold exceptional levels of debt. As part of the Spending Review, we are working with those councils, particularly in the context of local government re-organisation to understand how these councils’ exceptional debt can be managed.

Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of former foreign national asylum seekers granted (a) refugee status and (b) settlement claiming (i) emergency homeless and (ii) temporary accommodation.

The most recent statutory homelessness statistics (July – September 2024) is available at: Homelessness statistics - GOV.UK, which includes former asylum seeker households that are owed a homelessness duty.

What type of public body the child protection authority will be; what powers it will have; how it will be funded; whether it will subsume existing (a) public bodies and (b) regulators; and what powers it will have over local government.

The government has committed to consulting on a roadmap to establish a Child Protection Authority for England. The design and delivery of this Authority requires consultation, including with child protection experts and victim groups to ensure it has the right constitution and powers to make a tangible difference to child protection practice.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 28146 on Asylum: Local Government, what data her Department holds on funding to local councils in England for (a) asylum seekers and (b) refugees.

Funding provided to Local Authorities by the Home Office in respect of asylum & resettlement is made in the form of grant payments.As per the most recent published Cabinet Office grant data, in financial year 2023-24 these Home Office grants totalled approximately £500m - Government grants statistics 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK.

When Baroness Casey will report on the national audit into grooming gangs.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 7 April to Question UIN 44574, and to the responses I gave in Parliament on 28 April.The Home Secretary has commissioned Baroness Louise Casey to conduct an audit to improve national understanding of the scale, nature, and profile of group-based child sexual abuse. The audit is well underway and will report to the Home Secretary in the next month.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 29611 on Offences against Children: Reviews, how many local inquiries will be supported; and at what average cost.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 7 April to Question UIN 44574, and to the responses I gave in Parliament on 28 April.The Home Secretary has commissioned Baroness Louise Casey to conduct an audit to improve national understanding of the scale, nature, and profile of group-based child sexual abuse. The audit is well underway and will report to the Home Secretary in the next month.

If she will publish correspondence sent to local authorities on (a) accessing funding for locally-led work on grooming gangs and (b) the conditions of funding.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 7 April to Question UIN 44574, and to the responses I gave in Parliament on 28 April.The Home Secretary has commissioned Baroness Louise Casey to conduct an audit to improve national understanding of the scale, nature, and profile of group-based child sexual abuse. The audit is well underway and will report to the Home Secretary in the next month.

With reference to her Department's guidance entitled Terms of reference for VfM Study on procuring short-term residential accommodation, published on 11 March 2025, how much the Home Office spent on hotels for asylum support in 2024-25.

The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab).

Which contractors provide accommodation services for (a) asylum seekers and (b) refugees for her Department.

The Home Office’s asylum accommodation services are delivered under contracts by Serco, Mears, Clearsprings Ready Homes and Corporate Travel Management. These contracts were entered into by our predecessors.The Home Office does not have any contractors providing accommodation for refugees under Resettlement schemes.