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 1,221–1,240 of 1,474 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on requiring (a) short-term lets and (b) second homes to have planning permission; and what plans he has to bring forward legislation on this matter.
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 72633 on 15 September 2025.
Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to amend the General Permitted Development Order to require an application for planning permission in all cases of repurposing a house in multiple occupation as accommodation for asylum seekers.
Whether or not use of a hotel or a house in multiple occupation to accommodate asylum seekers would constitute a material change of use requiring planning permission is a matter of fact and degree and will be for the local planning authority to determine on the individual merits of a case.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 75617 on Homes England: Conferences, how many Homes England staff attended the MIPIM conference; and which hotel they stayed at.
Seven Homes England colleagues attended MIPIM in April 2024. The delegation that attended MIPIM stayed at the Hotel Cannes Montfleury, 25 Av. Beauséjour, 06400 Cannes, France. Details of the travel and subsistence usage by Homes England staff is set out in their Annual Report.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 69298 on Electoral Register: Young People, if he will make it his policy to consult with political parties on the elections strategy at an early stage prior to bringing forward legislative proposals on this matter.
Pursuant to the answer given to Question [69298] on Electoral Register, the Government will continue to work closely with our partners in local and devolved government and wider stakeholders to deliver on our strategy for modern and secure elections. This will include engagement with political parties, the electoral sector, education and civil society, and with citizens themselves to ensure impacts are thoroughly considered and changes successfully delivered.
Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to amend the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 to require planning permission for the use of hotels as accommodation for asylum seekers.
Whether or not use of a hotel or a house in multiple occupation to accommodate asylum seekers would constitute a material change of use requiring planning permission is a matter of fact and degree and will be for the local planning authority to determine on the individual merits of a case.
Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued on the use of Article 4 directions under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 for (a) houses in multiple occupation and (b) asylum accommodation.
My Department has not issued any such guidance.
Communities and Local Government, further to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's press release entitled Ombudsman writes to Secretary of State after council refuses to accept recommendation on abuse survivor’s complaint, published on 10 September 2025, what steps he is taking further to the letter from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman relating to Leicester City Council.
The Department is aware of the concerns raised by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. We continue to monitor Leicester City Council’s compliance with its Best Value Duty, in line with our wider oversight of local authority risk.
Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to respond to the consultation entitled Introduction of a use class for short term lets and associated permitted development rights, which closed on 12 April 2023.
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 72633 on 15 September 2025.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2025 to Question 71482 on Green Belt: Planning Permission, whether the Planning Inspectorate holds information on decisions made in relation to green belt land since December 2024.
The Planning Inspectorate does hold information on decisions made in relation to green belt land. This information is released under management information in our Casework Database which can be found on gov.uk here.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2025 to Question 66939 on Council Tax: Tax Yields, if he will publish the FOI disclosure reference FOI2025/22431.
It is not MHCLG policy to routinely publish FOI responses. The Information Tribunal views disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as a release into the public domain.
Communities and Local Government, how much (a) revenue and (b) capital funding has been allocated to the Local Regeneration Fund in each year of the Spending Review period; and whether any of this funding has been repurposed from cancelled schemes.
The Local Regeneration Fund is a consolidation of existing local growth capital funds (Levelling Up Fund, Town Deals, and the Pathfinder Pilot). No schemes were cancelled. Local Authorities in receipt of Local Regeneration Fund were paid £1,330m Capital and £9.4m Revenue in September 2025 for financial year 2025/26. Departmental internal business planning processes for future years are still ongoing, therefore we cannot yet confirm specific allocations for the LRF at this time as allocations are provisional.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's statistics entitled Housing supply: indicators of new supply, England: April to June 2025, published on 19 September 2025, what data Glenigan collects for his Department; and whether Glenigan provides figures on unbuilt-out planning permissions.
My Department obtains a range of planning-related data from Glenigan Ltd through a contract. Its estimates of the numbers of residential planning permissions granted are routinely published in its quarterly statistical releases. The data provided by Glenigan Ltd includes information on developments that have been granted permission but do not constitute robust estimates of the number of planning permissions that have not been built out.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 July 2025 to Question 69050 on Local Government Finance, what the aggregate value was of the capitalised costs in 2024-25.
Since 2016, under a general direction initially put in place by the previous government, local authorities have the flexibility to use eligible capital receipts to fund the costs of projects that produce ongoing savings or efficiencies.Local authorities are required to provide annual returns to Government, including data on revenue expenditure. The latest return was published on 18th September 2025: Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2024 to 2025 – first release - GOV.UK. The data includes reported revenue spend funded by capital receipts under the general direction.These values may be subject to revision as authorities provide further or updated information.
Communities and Local Government, how much (a) capital and (b) revenue funding was allocated to the Affordable Housing Programme in each year since 2019-20.
My Department published an update on targets in respect of the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme on 30 July 2024. It can be found on gov.uk here. Delivery for the GLA on affordable housing can be found on their website here and Homes England set out their annual report and accounts for delivery outside of London here. My Department publishes our annual reports and accounts here.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 August 2025 to Question 68789 on Permitted Development Rights, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Article 4 directions on the volume of new dwellings from conversions.
No assessment of the impact in question has been made by my Department.
Communities and Local Government, under what circumstances would the HM Land Registry not publish title deeds on the gov.uk website following the purchase of a dwelling.
HM Land Registry does not publish title deeds on gov.uk. Instead, it maintains a register, which is the official and definitive record of land and property ownership in England and Wales. Once a property is registered, the register itself serves as proof of ownership. There is no requirement for title deeds to confirm ownership. An official copy of the register or title plan provides a true and legally recognised record of the property’s ownership and boundaries at a specific point in time. While a property is the process of being registered with HM Land Registry, it will not appear on the register until that registration has been completed. However, legal ownership rights are secured and protected from the moment the application is received by HM Land Registry, not at the point at which processing of the application is completed. Applicants can contact HM Land Registry to check on the progress of their application. Processing times for completing different application types can be found on GOV.UK. Under the Land Registration Act 2002, the register, title plan, and certain associated documents are publicly accessible to all. These can be obtained for a small fee via the ‘search for land and property information’ service on gov.uk which can be found here. It should be noted that not all documents submitted during the registration process are retained, and not all retained documents are available electronically. Access to documents is subject to the Land Registration Rules 2003. Some documents—such as identity documents—are classified as “excepted documents” and are not made available to the public.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of whether overseas electors in (a) Australia and (b) UAE can receive postal ballot papers posted from the United Kingdom in line with the legal deadlines for returning them.
The responsibility for arranging the timing and dispatch of postal votes sits with the Returning Officer for each electoral area. As such, it falls to them to assess the likelihood of an elector’s postal ballot pack being dispatched, returned and completed before the close of poll. The Electoral Commission advises Returning Officers to prioritise overseas postal ballot packs. Since 2016, the Government has supported Returning Officers by funding the use of the International Business Response Licence - which expedites the return of ballot packs from overseas, as well as covering any postage costs that might otherwise be incurred. The Electoral Commission also advises that, in cases where it may not be realistic for a postal ballot pack to be dispatched, completed and returned before the close of poll, the Electoral Registration Officer should make the elector aware of this and advise that they vote by proxy instead. The online absent vote application service includes similar advice for electors applying for a postal vote.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2025 to Question 74339 on Planning: Environment Protection, when he expects the Environmental Outcomes Reports framework to replace the environmental assessment systems.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 16 December 2024 (HCWS317), we will, in due course, replace the current EU derived systems of Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment with Environmental Outcomes Reports (EORs). These will be a more effective and outcome-focused tool for managing the effects of development on the natural environment. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 contains a number of duties to consult on the core elements of the new EOR system, including the setting of outcomes and repealing existing legislation. The government will consult on draft regulations in due course following policy development and engagement with key stakeholders. Until a new system is implemented, current legislation on environmental assessment and its supporting guidance continues to apply.
Whether the provisions in the Public Office (Accountability) Bill will apply to (a) town and (b) parish councillors.
The Public Office (Accountability) Bill reforms abolish the common law offence of misconduct in public office and introduce two new offences: seriously improper acts and breach of duty to prevent death or serious injury. These new offences apply to elected officials, including town and parish councillors.
Communities and Local Government, for what reason there is a four year limit on Section 183 Town and Country Planning Act 1990 stop notices for cases involving the use of (a) hotels and (b) houses in multiple occupation.
Stop notices are intended for use where the impact of a breach of planning control is such that it needs to be stopped quickly and before the related enforcement notice takes effect. The four-year time limit for their use was first introduced by the Planning and Compensation Act 1991 on the basis that, if a breach has already been in existence for more than four years it is less likely that it would need to be stopped quickly.