Written questions by Cleverly.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the (a) National Insurance increase, (b) National Living Wage, (c) Increase in Beer excise duty, (d) the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and (e) the increase to business rates on the hospitality industry in (1) England and (2) other constituent nations.

The Government recognises the important contribution that businesses in the hospitality sector make to local communities, the high street and the wider economy across the UK. The potential impacts of changes on this sector are carefully considered as part of policy development. Where changes are made, relevant impact notes and assessments are published at fiscal events and otherwise as necessary, in line with the Government’s usual practice. The Treasury also engages regularly with the hospitality sector to understand the challenges they face. The Government continues to provide targeted support to the hospitality sector through the tax system and other policies and keeps all areas of the tax system under review, with future decisions taken at fiscal events under the normal process.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his plans to require enhanced due diligence for political donations, whether there will be a safe harbour provision, for following advice from the regulator.

The Know Your Donor regime will introduce statutory guidance issued by the Electoral Commission, which will set out how recipients of donations may assess the relevant risk factors, the kinds of circumstances that may signal a heightened level of risk and the steps they may take to reduce that risk. Following the Commission’s guidance will help recipients ensure they are conducting an appropriate level of risk assessment. Adhering to the guidance will therefore support parties and campaigners in demonstrating that they have taken reasonable steps when evaluating the permissibility and potential risk of donations.

Communities and Local Government, what is the timetable for the publication of the social cohesion strategy, and whether there will be a consultation or green paper.

We published Protecting What Matters: Towards a more confident, cohesive, and resilient United Kingdom on Monday 9 March 2026. This publication sets out this government’s vision for a fair, tolerant and decent country and the steps we are taking to tackle threats to social cohesion.

Pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 90226 on Business Rates: Tax Allowances, if she will publish data for the number of hereditaments on the 2026 Rating List with a Rateable Value above £500,000 by Special Category code.

You can find data related to the 2026 revaluation here: Non-domestic rating: change in rateable value of rating lists, England and Wales, 2026 Revaluation (draft list) - GOV.UK

Pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2026 to Question 105190 on Council tax: Valuation, whether a new computer system is being developed to undertake valuations for the new council tax surcharge.

The Valuation Operating System for Council Tax was launched in 2025 and supports all Council Tax work in England and Wales, including the High Value Council Tax Surcharge.

Communities and Local Government, what number and proportion of planning appeals were decided through the Rosewell Inquiry Process in 2025.

In 2025, 167 planning appeals were decided through the Rosewell Inquiry Process. This represents 93% of the total planning appeals decided by inquiry.

What estimate has the Office for National Statistics made of the average house price of a (a) residential dwelling and (b) primary residence dwelling, in each (i) local authority area and (ii) Parliamentary constituency.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Rt Hon. gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 6th March is attached.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the written statement of 9 February 2026 on Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-27 to 2028-29, whether he has allocated additional funding to MHCLG.

The final 2026-27 to 2028-29 Local Government Finance Settlement confirmed £740 million in new grant funding additional to the provisional Settlement, taking the total new grant funding delivered through the multi-year Settlement to over £4 billion. Local authority funding allocations across the three years can be found here: Core Spending Power table: final local government finance settlement 2026-27 to 2028-29 - GOV.UK.The £740 million of additional funding is comprised of unallocated budgets for the Spending Review period and additional Exchequer funding. The Barnett formula applies to all increases or decreases to UK Government Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL).

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the UK anti-corruption strategy 2025, CP 1454, of December 2025, para 88, what is the separate agreement relating to (a) the Code of Conduct and (b) Independent Oversight on local government standards.

The Government published its response to the consultation “Strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England” in November 2025. The response sets out the Government’s intention to introduce measures including a mandatory Code of Conduct for councillors and strengthened oversight of the local government standards regime.We intend to legislate on local government standards reforms when parliamentary time allows.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the administrative cost per year of (a) valuing and (b) collecting the Council Tax surcharge.

The Government has set out, in its guidance, that it will carry out a new burdens assessment to ensure local authorities are fully funded for these costs.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2026 to Question 102399 on Local Government: Elections, whether the new unitary councils will be elected (a) in full and (b) by (i) halves and (ii) thirds.

I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 74954 on 15 September 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what the status is of each locality within the Devolution Priority Programme.

Government will establish Mayoral Strategic Authorities in the Devolution Priority Programme areas as quickly as possible following the consent of the constituent councils. The Combined Authorities for Cumbria and Cheshire & Warrington were established on 24 February. Legislation establishing a Sussex and Brighton strategic authority has been laid before Parliament. We are firmly committed to delivering mayoral devolution as quickly as possible in the other three Devolution Priority Programme areas: Hampshire and the Solent; Norfolk and Suffolk and Greater Essex. We will continue to work closely with all Devolution Priority Programme areas.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of local government reorganisation on the (a) services provided by, (b) responsibilities of and (c) parish precepts for council tax in (i) new and (ii) existing town and parish councils.

Town and parish councils are not in scope for local government reorganisation and will continue to operate as they do now.  The power to create and restructure town and parish councils is devolved to principal local authorities, which can review and make changes to local governance arrangements through Community Governance Reviews. In doing so, they are expected to take the views of local people into account. The Government expects town and parish councils – including new councils – to carefully consider the burden placed on taxpayers when setting their precepts. Areas considering the establishment of new town and parish councils should also think carefully about how these might be funded to avoid putting further pressure on local authority finances and/or new burdens on the taxpayer.

Pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 91847 on Leisure: Business Rates, when the analysis on the effects of the multiplier arrangements will be published.

The Government published its assessment of the business rates retail, hospitality and leisure multipliers on the 26 November 2025, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/effects-of-the-business-rates-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-multipliers-and-high-value-multiplier/effects-of-the-business-rates-retail-hospitality-and-leisure-multipliers-and-high-value-multiplier

Pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2026 to Question 109143 on Business Rate: Uprating, what the evidential basis is for the business rate system raising the same amount of revenue as was forecast before the Spring Budget 2025; and what the date and sources are for the previous estimate.

Business rates receipts are forecast independently by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).The previous answer that the business rates system will raise the same amount of revenue in the coming year as was forecast before the Spring Budget 2025 is based on a comparison between the OBRs pre-measures forecast at Spring Budget 2025, and forecasts for the same year at Autumn Budget 2025, which incorporates policy costings.

Pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2026, to Question 108650, on Gardens: Council tax, whether there is internal guidance on how gardens are valued for council tax, other than prevailing legislation.

Where a dwelling includes a garden, then this will be reflected in the valuation subject to the legislative framework. The Valuation Office Agency’s internal guidance on when gardens are included in the valuation can be found in the Council Tax Manual, published online here.

With reference to page 30 of the Budget 2025 policy costings document, published in November 2025, if she will make an assessment of the reasons for the change in business rate RHL multipliers between 2026-27 and 2027-28.

The retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) multipliers being introduced from April are worth nearly £1 billion per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties in England. The Exchequer impact of the new RHL multipliers can be found on page 30 of the ‘Policy costings’ document, published at the Budget and found online at this address: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/692872fd2a37784b16ecf676/Budget_2025-Policy_Costings.pdf

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to (a) update the Index of Dissimilarity and (b) produce other indicators of residential segregation.

We do not have plans to update the Index the Dissimilarity or, to produce other indicators of residential segregation.

With reference to the oral statement of 27 January 2026, Official Report, Col. 770, on business rates, what the evidential basis is that around three quarters of pubs will see their bills either fall or stay the same next year; what number of bills will remain the same; and what number of pubs were at the £110k cap for RHL relief in 2025-26.

The statistic is based on analysis conducted by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) using property-level data on rateable values from the Valuation Office Agency, and local authority returns on the value of reliefs and the number of properties receiving reliefs, published in MHCLG’s National Non-Domestic Rates statistics.

Pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2026 to Question 109139 on Business Rates: Valuation, if she will publish that analysis.

The government does not routinely publish analysis and advice used during the policy making process.