Written questions by Cleverly.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Northern Growth Strategy, January 2026, CP1485, paragraph 4 and footnotes 3 and 4, what is the evidential basis for the underlying statistics of the 2.2% productivity growth per year in the largest northern mayoral strategic authorities.

Footnotes 3 and 4 of the Northern Growth Strategy: Case for change outline how the calculation of compound average productivity growth rate in the largest northern Mayoral Strategic Authorities is based on ONS Official Statistics, using subnational estimates for Gross Value Added and hours worked.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes in council tax on the cost of living from April 2026.

Council tax levels are decided by local authorities, and the Department has not made specific assessments on the impact of council tax levels on the cost of living for households. For the vast majority of councils, the government intends to maintain a core 3% referendum principle and a 2% adult social care precept. The government will set out final referendum principles as part of the local government finance settlement. Councils are required to put in place council tax support schemes to support those on low incomes.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Delegation of the setting of planning fees to local planning authorities, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Fair Funding Review on planning fees in local authorities which have lost funding in real terms.

The Planning and Infrastructure Act provides the Secretary of State with the power to delegate the setting of planning fees to local planning authorities. The Fair Funding Review considers how resources are distributed across local government based on relative need and demand for services. It does not determine planning fee levels, which remain cost-recovery charges rather than general funding streams. The government is supporting local authorities to manage their updated funding positions by introducing changes over the multi-year Settlement and protecting councils’ income through transitional arrangements, including locally retained business rates growth.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2026 to Question 102770 on Waste Disposal: Birmingham, whether the meeting between the Secretary of State and Unite was minuted.

Minutes were taken and in line with normal practice, the minutes will not be published. But the Secretary of State reiterated that the waste dispute is a local issue for Unite and the Council to resolve.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 103891 on Business Rates: Tax Allowances, what is the evidential basis for the statement that the temporary Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief has been winding down since Covid.

The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief on business rates has been reduced over time since 2020/21, when it was set at 100%. In 2021/22, this relief was lowered to 75%, in 2022/23 it was 50%, in 2023/24 and 2024/25 it was 75%, and in 2025/26 the relief was lowered to 40%. At Budget, the Government announced it was extending the Supporting Small Business Relief scheme to those businesses who are currently receiving RHL Relief. This scheme caps the increases in bills they can face in each of the next 3 years, calculated from a baseline that includes the effect of the RHL relief. This means that many of those currently getting RHL relief will benefit from SSB relief next year.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2025, to Question 95394, on Housing: Construction, what estimate has ONS made of per capita housebuilding rate in each constituent nation of the UK over the last 12 months.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Rt Hon. gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 3rd February is attached.

What her policy is on whether current Police and Crime Commissioners in (a) England and (b) Wales will serve their full term in office before the positions are discontinued, where (i) there is a combined authority mayor for that police force and (ii) where there is no such mayor.

It is the Government’s intention that the role of Police and Crime Commissioner will continue until May 2028.At that point, subject to legislation, it is the Government’s intention to transfer policing functions to Strategic Authority Mayors wherever possible, or to elected council leaders through Policing and Crime Boards where it is not.The exception is in Cumbria where, subject to their Statutory Instrument being made and the Combined Authority established, it is anticipated that the newly created Mayor will be responsible for the governance of policing when they are elected in May 2027. This is part of the Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government’s Devolution Priority Programme.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to amend the Housing supply: indicators of new supply statistics to include a rolling statistic on the yearly shortfall in relation to his 1.5 million housing delivery target.

The government has no current plans to incorporate new indicators into Housing Supply: Indicators of new supply statistical releases.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2026, to Question 104987, on Strategic Migration Partnership: Finance, whether her Department has determined the funding envelope for the 2025-26 funding; and on what dates was the 2024-25 funding given to the partnerships.

The Home Office does not currently publish funding levels to Strategic Migration Partnerships, previous years funding can be found here Government Grants Data and Statistics Government grants data and statistics - GOV.UK

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2026, to Question 105789, on Ministers and Public Consultation: Evidence, whether the Government accepts evidence in written consultations from organisations subject to the policy of non-engagement.

I refer the Rt. Honourable Member to the answer on 21 January 2026, PQ 105789.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2026 to Question 103186, on Asylum: Council Housing, which local authorities are participating in the asylum accommodation pilots.

MHCLG and HO are exploring options for a new, more sustainable accommodation model, developed in consultation with local authorities. No final decisions have been taken by Ministers.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2026 to Question 105220 on MHCLG: Publicity, which suppliers his Department has used for publishing content in foreign languages in the last 12 months.

The department does not hold the information in the format requested.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2025, to Question 88668, on Flags: Palestine, and further to the UK Statement at the High-Level Conference for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution of 22 September 2025, if he will publish guidance on deemed consent for the Palestine flag.

My Department has no plans to publish guidance on deemed consent for the Palestine flag.

Whether all Arm’s Length Bodies, including public corporations and private companies owned by the Government, are required to follow the Cabinet Office local and Parliamentary by-election election purdah guidance.

It is for individual public bodies to apply pre-election guidance within their own organisations, but in doing so they should not go beyond the principles set out in central guidance. Sponsor departments must ensure that staff and board members of their ALBs are aware of the guidance and are applying the principles appropriately. Sponsor departments should be consulted by the ALB in cases of doubt.

Pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2025, to Question 90708, and 20 October 2025 to Question 85948, on Immigrant: English Language, what steps she plans to take to support the integration of asylum seekers, in the context of it not being a requirement to learn English.

Successfully integrating refugees remains a Government priority. Those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK have access to mainstream services to support them to build independent, fulfilling lives and contribute meaningfully to the UK economy.Asylum seekers whose claims have been outstanding for six months or more are eligible for the same skills funding as other residents in England.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 85176 on England: Anniversaries, and the Answer of 21 January 2026 to Question 99500 on National Identity, whether he will have discussions with the Mayor of London on erecting a permanent statue of King Athelstan on the fourth plinth of Trafalgar Square to mark the 1,100th anniversary of the foundation of England.

The Government publishes details of ministers’ meetings with external organisations on a quarterly basis.

What estimate she has made of increase in business rate receipts in England from 2025-26 to 2026-27 as a consequence of the CPI inflation uprating.

Details on business rates receipts for 2025-26 and 2026-27 are set out in the OBR’s economic and fiscal outlook.The further support for pubs and live music venues will be scored at a fiscal event in the usual way.In the coming financial year, because of the government’s interventions, the business rate system is raising broadly the same amount of revenue as it was forecast to before the Budget in Spring 2025.

What analysis the Valuation Office Agency provided to government departments on the potential distributional consequences of the 2026 business rates revaluation before the Budget 2025, including the potential impact on the pub sector.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) provides valuation data and analysis on the property market to MHCLG and HMT.

What steps his Department is taking to help tackle sex-selective abortion and infanticide.

The Department continues to work with providers to ensure abortions are only performed in accordance with the legal grounds set out by the Abortion Act. Sex is not itself a lawful ground for termination of pregnancy in England and Wales and it is illegal for a practitioner to carry out an abortion for that reason alone.Under section 1 of the Infanticide Act 1938, it is infanticide rather than murder if a woman causes the death of her child under 12 months in age and at the time of the act the balance of her mind was disturbed by not having fully recovered from the effect of giving birth. The infanticide offence is currently being considered by the Law Commission as part of their review of homicide offences and sentencing for murder.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the (a) higher value surcharge in 2025-26 on hereditaments valued at £500,000 and (b) withdrawal of the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure multiplier at £500,000 on the economy.

The OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook sets out the forecast for the economy over a five-year horizon. For more information, please visit https://obr.uk/docs/dlm_uploads/OBR_Economic_and_fiscal_outlook_November_2025.pdf