Every parliamentary written question tabled by James Cleverly this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 641–660 of 1,474 · this parliament
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
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for July to September 2025, published on 25 December 2025, for what reason ensuring that each Paper produced by a Crown body includes the most up-to-date Crown copyright statement issued by the Controller is a key performance indicator in the MHCLG Corporate Print Management Service contact with ALLIED PUBLICITY SERVICES (MANCHESTER) LIMITED.
This is included as one of several performance indicators, to ensure our supplier uses accurate, up-to-date Crown copyright statements across all government publications it produces for the department and MHCLG’s Arm’s Length Bodies, helping maintain legal compliance and public trust.
If she will commission a cross-government impact assessment for (a) higher National Insurance on employers, (b) higher business rates and (c) the overnight visitors levy on (i) the economic viability of the hotel sector, (ii) costs to consumers, (iii) domestic tourism and (iv) foreign visitor tourism.
The Government recognises the important contribution that the hotel and wider hospitality sectors make to the economy, to local communities and to the UK’s appeal as a destination for domestic and international tourists.The Government carefully considers the impact of tax measures on businesses, including in hospitality and tourism, within the context of the need to repair the public finances and to fund high‑quality public services. Relevant impact notes and assessments are published at fiscal events and otherwise as necessary in line with the Government’s usual practice.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 87778 on Affordable Housing: Construction, what proportion of funding from the new Programme will be used to purchase homes that have (a) already been started and (b) built through different schemes.
The new Social and Affordable Homes Programme will permit a limited number of acquisitions.For further information, please see the policy statement published by the Department on 7 November which can be found on gov.uk here.
Communities and Local Government, if he will set out how the uplift in rateable values in 2026 affects the calculation of funding of individual local authorities in the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026-27; and whether council areas with an above-average increase in rateable values will receive additional net funding relative to the previous year from business rate revenue.
I refer the Rt. hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 107993 on 28 January 2026.
Communities and Local Government, whether the review into foreign interference will consider the practice of foreign governments hiring UK-based lobbyists.
It is, and always will be, an absolute priority for this Government to protect our democratic and electoral processes. The purpose of the Rycroft review is to provide an in-depth assessment of the current financial rules and safeguards and make recommendations. The terms of reference for the review can be found here: Independent review: countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics: Terms of Reference - GOV.UK. Given the review’s independence, we cannot pre-empt specifics of the ground it will cover, nor the recommendations it will make. It is right that the review is independent of Government and independent of any political party. However, we will be looking to mitigate the risk of foreign financial interference in UK politics from any actors and individuals who might wish to undermine our democracy.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2026 to Question 97134 on MHCLG: Departmental Responsibilities, whether the Minister for Housing and Planning discussed government business with Edaroth during his attendance at Housing Group events at the Labour Party Conference in September 2025.
I had no meetings with Edaroth at Labour Party Annual Conference 2025 and shared no platforms with representatives of the company.I participated in a number of advertised events at the conference, including a panel organised by Labour Housing Group, in which I set out the government’s overall approach to housing and planning. I did not discuss other Departmental business at any of these events.
Communities and Local Government, what is the estimated revenue from business rates in England in (a) 2024-25, (b) 2025-26 and (c) 2026-27.
Estimated net business rates yield in England for can be found in Table 1 of the ‘National non-domestic rates collected by councils in England’ statistical releases.Data for 2024-25 based on out-turn (actual) data can be found on gov.uk here.Forecast data for 2025-26 can be found on gov.uk here.Data for 2026-27 will be published in mid-February 2026.
Pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2026 to Question 102744 on Educational Institutions: Council tax, how many retail, hospital an leisure hereditaments have a rateable value above £500,000 broken down by Special Category Code for which the latest data is available.
This information was included in the Change in rateable value of rating lists, 2026 Revaluation publication: Non-domestic rating: change in rateable value of rating lists, England and Wales, 2026 Revaluation (draft list) - GOV.UK
Pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 88671 on Valuation Office Agency: Training, what the titles are of internal training and e-learning videos held by the Valuation Office Agency in relation to council tax and business rates.
The Valuation Office Agency offers in excess of 400 internal training opportunities in relation to council tax and non-domestic rating.
What the estimated annual revenue is from the hotel sector in relation to (a) business rates, (b) VAT, (c) National Insurance on employers and (d) corporation tax, according to records held by (i) HM Treasury and (ii) HMRC, in the most recent year for which figures are available.
HM Revenue and Customs does not hold aggregated data on the revenue contribution of the hotel sector in relation to VAT, National insurance on employers or corporation tax. Sectoral breakdowns for individual taxes can be found on GOV.UK. HMRC does not administer business rates.
What estimate her Department has made of how many and the proportion of pubs hereditaments assigned Valuation Office Agency Special Category Code 226 which were eligible for the 40 per cent Retail, Hospitality and Leisure rate relief in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.
MHCLG publish data on the number of properties benefitting from RHL relief. You can find the information here: National non-domestic rates collected by councils in England: forecast 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK
Pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 94190 on Hospitality Industry: Taxation, how much is the mean increase in rateable values for the hotel sector following the 2026 revaluation.
Official statistics comparing the 2023 non-domestic rating lists and 2026 draft non-domestic rating lists for England and Wales, including a breakdown by special category code, (which includes the hotel sector), are published here. We recognise that hotels have expressed concerns about how they are valued for business rates. Hotels valuations are undertaken in a different way to some other sectors. The methodology used is well established, but, as with pubs, the government has announced it will review the way hotels are valued to ensure it accurately reflects the rental value for these sectors.
Whether the valuations and address of each dwelling liable to pay the council tax surcharge will be published online by the Valuation Office Agency.
The Valuation Office Agency is developing its approach and will set out more details in due course, alongside the government’s consultation.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Affordable Homes Programme annual report 2024 to 2025, published on 7 January 2026, whether the £2 billion of funding announced in March 2025 is separate to the £39 billion of funding in the 2026 to 2036 programme.
As per the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549), the injection of £2 billion of new capital investment to support social and affordable housing delivery was designed to act as a bridge to the long-term grant funding that was to be announced at the Spending Review in June of that year. It is part of the £39 billion budget for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
With reference to the answer of 6 January 2026, to Question HL13202, on Public Houses: Business Rates, what the equivalent figures are to the 4% increase in average pubs’ business rates bills, in years (a) 2027-28 and (b) 2028-29.
From April, every pub and live music venue will get 15% off its new business rates bill on top of the support announced at Budget and then bills will be frozen in real terms for a further two years. Three-quarters of pubs will see bills flat or falling in April. The new relief is worth £1,650 for the average pub next year. As a sector pubs will pay 8% less in business rates in 2029 than they do right now. The Government will also launch a review which will explore how pubs are valued for business rates.
Further to the Valuation Office Agency's publication entitled Non-domestic rating: change in rateable value of rating lists, England and Wales, 2026 Revaluation (draft list), published on 26 November 2025, for what reason average rateable values across the hotels, guest and boarding, self category sub-sector have increased by 78 per cent.
We recognise that hotels have expressed concerns about how they are valued for business rates. Hotels valuations are undertaken in a different way to some other sectors. The methodology used is well established, but, as with pubs, the government has announced it will review the way hotels are valued to ensure it accurately reflects the rental value for these sectors.
Pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2026, to Question 103885, on Council tax: garden, what methodology is used when a garden is valued by the Valuation Office Agency as part of determining the value of the whole dwelling; and whether the size of the garden is material.
The Valuation Office Agency values properties, including their gardens, in line with legislation.