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 961–980 of 1,474 · this parliament
Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has issued guidance on council farms.
Defra recently published the 74th annual report to Parliament on smallholdings in England. The report indicated that council farms continue to play an important role in the tenanted agricultural sector across England.
Pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 82043 on City of Sanctuary UK, if she will publish the minutes of the three meetings.
Officials routinely engage with a range of different organisations.The department does not usually publish minutes between officials and stakeholders.
Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 81310 on Universal Studios: Bedfordshire, whether her Department has submitted a representation to the planning application.
In line with appropriate procedure, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport did not submit a representation to the planning application.
Pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2025 to Question 64084 on Night Time Industries Association, if he will publish (a) the letter from the Association and (b) his Department's response.
Responses are issued directly to the original correspondent in line with the Cabinet Office guidance for correspondence - Guide to Handling Correspondence - September 2024 A letter has been issued directly to the original correspondent.
Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 82325 on Holiday Accommodation: Registration, where the pilot will take place; and on what statutory basis the pilot is operating.
The new national short-term lets registration service entered its user testing pilot at the end of October to ensure it is robust, easy to use and meets the needs of the scheme ahead of launch in 2026. Feedback will be gathered from users who provide short-term lets across England as part of this development phase, in line with the Government Service Standard.
Pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 75606 on Community Development: English Language, what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of providing English language support in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.
The Ministry of Justice has a statutory duty to provide Language Services to enable access to justice for users for whom English is not their first language. Language Service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery.The services provided under the Ministry of Justice’s contracts include face-to-face, video, and telephone interpretation for spoken foreign languages, as well as written translation and transcription.In financial year 2024/25, the Ministry of Justice spent £36,920,721 providing these services via contract.To date, in financial year 2025/26, the Ministry of Justice spent £20,478,950 providing these services via contract. Expenditure to date is comparable with the same point as last financial year, so we anticipate that overall spend for 2025–26 will be broadly consistent with expenditure in the previous financial year.
Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on which local authorities have introduced (a) three-weekly and (b) monthly residual household rubbish collections.
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight East, Joe Robertson, on 20 December 2024, PQ UIN 19914.
Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78182 on Retail Trade: Planning Permission, whether the proposing licensing regime for the retail sale of vaping products will regulate the (a) number and (b) cumulative impact of vaping shops that are permitted to operate in a locality.
On 8 October 2025, we launched a Call for Evidence to gather views on a range of topics related to tobacco, vapes, and nicotine products, including the implementation of the proposed licensing scheme for the retail sale of these products. The Call for Evidence asks detailed questions, including on factors that should be taken into consideration when making decisions on the granting of a premises licence, such as the location and density of retailers. We welcome feedback on the questions in the Call for Evidence.The evidence gathered will be used to inform the development of the licensing scheme, and we will launch a subsequent consultation on our policy proposals before bringing forward secondary legislation. The Call for Evidence is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/tobacco-and-vapes-evidence-to-support-legislation/tobacco-and-vapes-evidence-to-support-legislation
Whether her Department has commissioned research into the (a) underlying causes of trends in the number of children with special educational needs and (b) adequacy of funding to local authorities for supporting such children.
International evidence indicates that the number of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is also increasing in comparable countries. Although definitions and systems vary considerably, the key drivers include improved understanding and diagnosis of need, as well as social and medical factors. The department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings, for example through our recently published evidence reviews, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/identifying-and-supporting-the-needs-of-children-with-send-in-mainstream-settings. The department also funds a What Works in SEND programme, which is delivered by Research and Improvement for SEND Excellence Partnership. This programme produces research and local area case studies that harness best practice from practitioners and partner organisations on local area SEND service delivery. The department is providing over £12 billion in the current 2025/26 financial year for supporting children and young people with complex SEND. This will help with the financial pressures that local authorities and schools are facing. The Schools White Paper, due to be published in the new year, will set out how we plan to move forward with reforms to improve the SEND system in future years.
Pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78673 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, if he will publish his Department's engagements with the National Police Chief’s Council including (a) notes of meetings and (b) exchanges of correspondence.
The Home Office regularly engages with the National Police Chiefs’ on policy issues relating to operational policing.The Government is working on a response to the Court’s judgment. In the Crime and Policing Bill Committee stage debate on 17 November, Home Office Minister Lord Hanson committed to set out the Government’s response to the judgment ahead of the Report stage of the Bill.In considering the Court’s judgment, the Government will carefully balance the rights of individuals to live a private life without discrimination, while recognising the importance of protecting public spaces and communities affected by unauthorised encampments.
Whether the Valuation Office Agency has had recent discussions with the (a) Scottish Government and (b) Scottish Assessors Association on (i) council tax (A) revaluation and (B) re-banding and (ii) the automated valuation model.
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) routinely meet with devolved governments. The VOA has not discussed banding with Scottish Government or Scottish Assessors Association (SAA) but has provided an overview of their model assisted valuation to the SAA as part of regular knowledge sharing.
Pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2025 to Question 86050 on Public Sector Fraud Authority: Local Government, what his planned timetable is for the data matching pilot.
The National Fraud Initiative (NFI), as part of the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA), works closely with local authorities to help them identify and prevent fraud. The NFI is currently collaborating with local authorities to understand the fraud risks related to council tax second home premiums. This insight will inform options to detect and prevent fraud in this area, including the potential for a data matching pilot. This research will also be used to determine the fraud risk and the effectiveness of a data share. If it is concluded that a data share would effectively target the risks, a planned timetable will be agreed to deliver the data matching pilot.
Pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2025 to Question 75123 on Angela Rayner, whether he was informed before his statement on 3 September 2025.
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer of 15 October 2025, Official Report, PQ 75123.
Whether local councillors will be included in Making Tax Digital scheme.
Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax will be introduced from April 2026 for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000. Qualifying income is the total income from self-employment and property, assessed before expenses. Local Authority councillors are office holders rather than sole traders. Their income and allowances do not count towards qualifying income for the purposes of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. Where a councillor has additional qualifying income from self-employment or property, they will need to comply where that income exceeds the MTD thresholds. If a councillor is required to use MTD, and where expenses are claimed through a return, the councillor would make that claim as part of the end-of-year tax return through their MTD software.
Whether her Department plans to allow councillors to submit their expenses in the Making Tax Digital scheme.
Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax will be introduced from April 2026 for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000. Qualifying income is the total income from self-employment and property, assessed before expenses. Local Authority councillors are office holders rather than sole traders. Their income and allowances do not count towards qualifying income for the purposes of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. Where a councillor has additional qualifying income from self-employment or property, they will need to comply where that income exceeds the MTD thresholds. If a councillor is required to use MTD, and where expenses are claimed through a return, the councillor would make that claim as part of the end-of-year tax return through their MTD software.
Pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2025 to Question 84634 on Personal Care Services: Fraud, on what statutory basis Companies House undertakes enhanced check; and how many fake barber shops have been identified.
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 provided Companies House with enhanced powers to query, reject and share information proactively with law enforcement partners. These powers support the promotion of statutory objectives to ensure that required information is delivered, is accurate, is complete, is not false or misleading. Companies House aims to prevent companies and others from carrying out or facilitating unlawful activities.The National Crime Agency’s National Economic Crime Centre supported action in October 2025 visited 2734 business. 376 were barbershops. 251 other businesses visited were designated as ‘beauty related businesses’ which may include barbershop type services.
Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to publish revised land value estimates, updated in August 2020; and whether his Department has had recent discussions with the Valuation Office Agency on this issue.
The government is developing updated land value estimates for use in policy appraisal and has commissioned work from the Valuation Office Agency to that end. Our aim is to publish updated values for a range of land uses within the next 12 months.
Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the value for money of the Greater Manchester Housing Investment Loans Fund.
An independent evaluation of the Housing Investment Fund commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority concluded that it delivers good value for money.
Pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2025 to Question 86644 on Deputy Prime Minister: Admiralty House, whether the initial council tax bill issued to HM Government in March 2025 included a second homes council tax premium.
The Second Homes Premium was introduced by Westminster City Council on the 1st April 2025. This was billed by the council in July 2025 as a one-off payment for the financial year and paid on the same day.
Pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60481 on Disability: Candidates, how much funding has been allocated to support the Access to Elected Office programme during the Spending Review period.
It is this government’s ambition to see more disabled people in public office. We have been clear that we will champion disabled people’s rights and work closely with them so that disabled people’s views and voices are at the heart of decision-making. The new fund is currently in development and the funding allocation is subject to the current Spending Review process. More information about the fund will be announced in due course.