Written questions by Cleverly.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 74712 on Local Government: Empty Property, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of abolishing the New Homes Bonus on the number of empty homes.

Through the New Homes Bonus, local authorities can receive funding for bringing a long-term empty home back into use. The New Homes Bonus in its current form will close at the end of the financial year 2025-26. Following its closure, local authorities will still be able to access funding for empty homes work through the Local Authority Housing Fund.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 76608 on Local Government: Elections, whether the information sharing gateway will include powers to share information (a) to and (b) from (i) political parties and (ii) other regulators.

The Government intends to provide the Electoral Commission with an explicit statutory gateway that will enable it to disclose information to certain regulators and enforcement authorities for the purpose of assisting those bodies in carrying out their statutory functions. The gateway will not include political parties. This will provide a solid legal foundation for the Commission to disclose information on cross-cutting issues such as foreign interference and data protection, nurturing a more collaborative and effective regulatory environment. Any disclosures will remain subject to UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Communities and Local Government, what his planned timetable is for (a) decision on and (b) implementation of unitarisation of councils in Surrey; and whether Surrey will have an elected mayor.

I refer the Rt. Hon. Gentleman to the Written Ministerial Statement that was published on 28 October 2025, which announced the decision made by the Government to implement the proposal for two unitary councils for Surrey, subject to Parliamentary approval.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the initial Government response to the independent report entitled New Towns Taskforce, published on 28 September 2025, whether the (a) plan-making for the site and (b) outline planning permissions will be decided by (i) the Government, (ii) development corporations and (iii) local authorities.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the government’s initial response to the New Towns Taskforce’s final report which can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, how many new homes have been completed in London in the first half of 2025.

My Department publishes a quarterly release entitled ‘Housing supply: Indicators of New Supply, England’, which includes estimates of new build starts and completions in London. Statistics to the quarter ending June 2025 can be found in Table 217 on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 75194 on Planning and Infrastructure Bill: European Commission, what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials have had with the European Commission on (a) issues of environmental regression and (b) other issues in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the UK meets annually with the European Commission through the Level Playing Field Trade Specialised Committee to discuss the implementation of the Level Playing Field chapter within which Article 391 (non-regression from levels of environmental protection) sits. This year’s meeting of the Trade Specialised Committee was held on 15 October 2025.At this meeting the UK provided an overview of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and both parties agreed to ongoing engagement once the Bill receives Royal Assent and focus shifts to its implementation.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of banning vaping inside pubs on the economic viability of community pubs.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill provides the Government with powers to make most public places and workplaces that are smoke-free also vape-free.Many businesses and enclosed public places, including pubs, already have voluntary schemes in place to prohibit vape usage inside their premises. We plan to consult on making most indoor settings, that are subject to existing smoke-free legislation, vape free.Exactly which settings should become vape-free will be a matter for secondary legislation and will be subject to a full consultation. We will undertake full impact assessments before any regulations are made, including the likely impact on businesses.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 77561 on MHCLG: Aviation, if he will list the (a) diplomatic, (b) humanitarian meetings and (c) visits that the Minister undertook on his visit to Pakistan.

As per the Guidance on Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and individuals (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministers-overseas-travel-and-meetings-publication-guidance/ministers-overseas-travel-and-meetings-publication-guidance#annex-b-ministers-meetings-with-external-individuals-and-organisations-including-meetings-with-newspaper-and-other-media-proprietors-editors-and-senior-executives), details of meetings with foreign governments, and details of visits, are not normally disclosed.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of early voting pilots on turnout.

This Government is committed to improving participation in our democracy. To support this goal, as the world continues to evolve around us, we must continue to ensure our democratic processes keep pace with technology and the way in which people live their lives. The purpose of these pilots is to explore how to modernise the way polling stations operate by making voting more efficient, more convenient, and better aligned with the expectations of today’s electors. The impacts of the pilot will be measured and evaluated by the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government and the Electoral Commission. The findings will be carefully considered and may inform future decisions on the delivery of elections.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of changing council tax into an annual property tax based on the capital value of the home.

The Chancellor makes tax policy decisions at fiscal events. The government remains committed to keeping all taxes and elements of the local government finance system under review. The government will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the system and consider where there is clear evidence that change would deliver better outcomes for residents and councils alike.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued guidance to local authorities on the access of journalists to council proceedings.

Transparency and openness should be fundamental to everything councils do. Under the Local Government Act 1972, all local authority meetings must be open to the public, including journalists, except in limited, defined circumstances. The most recent guidance remains the 2014 ‘Open and accountable local government: plain English guide’ that was designed to support members of the public, including journalists, accessing, recording, or reporting on local authority meetings and obtaining meeting documents.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77556 on Electoral Register, what user research he has commissioned; and from which organisations.

Pursuant to Answer of 13 October 2025 to UIN 77556, the Government continues to explore a range of options to improve electoral registration, with user research playing an important role in ensuring services are effective, inclusive, and meet the needs of the public.

Communities and Local Government, what the annual cost will be of the draft Local Government Pension Scheme (Fair Deal) Regulations 2026.

Some one-off costs to service providers and authorities are expected, relating to bringing a small number of workers providing local services under outsourced contracts into the Local Government Pension Scheme who are not currently members. These costs are expected to be offset over time by savings for service providers and authorities from improved risk-sharing arrangements, increased competition in the market, and simpler administration and actuarial funding arrangements.We will consider information on costs provided in response to the consultation launched on 13 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2025 to Question 73798 on Disinformation and Radicalism, if he will publish the most recent report from the National Community Tensions Scheme.

The reports provided by the National Community Tensions Team are not public and contain sensitive data and therefore cannot be published. This data gathered from this team forms part of the National Hate Crime statistics, which are made public.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 15 September 2025, to Question 75442, on Housing: Portsmouth, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 on the Government's target to build 1.5 million houses by the end of this Parliament.

My Department has no current plans to undertake a specific assessment of the implications of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 on housing supply, but we continue to keep all policy under review as we progress toward our hugely ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million new homes in England in this Parliament. While it is the role of competent authorities to carry out an assessment under the Habitats Regulations to test whether a plan or project could adversely affect the designated features of a European site, the government is clear that the Habitats Regulations Assessment process should be applied appropriately and proportionately, with decisions based on the best available scientific evidence. We are working closely with stakeholders to improve the functioning of the Habitats Regulations. This includes acting on the recommendations of the Corry review and the Post-Implementation Review of the Habitats Regulations.

What guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on how many bedrooms should be provided to benefit claimants with children.

There is support through the social security system for low-income households renting in the private or social rented sector which is paid to those in receipt of either Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit. The number of bedrooms required to calculate housing support is determined using a size criterion. The criterion takes account of the number of people in a household and their ages. These size criterions provide a bedroom for a couple, a single person aged 16 or over, two children of the same sex under the age of 16, two children of the same or opposite sexes under the age of 10 and a sole or remaining child. There are exceptional circumstances where support for an additional room can be awarded. The latest guidance to local authorities was issued following changes to the size criterion in 2017 Housing Benefit Circular: A3/2017. The criteria has not changed since. Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities to those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Communities to seize control over high streets and restore pride, published on 24 September 2025, what his definition is of a fake barber; and how he plans to block them.

The government is taking a tough stance against illicit trading which suffocates high streets. ‘Fake’ barbers are an example of cash-intensive businesses that are trading illicitly. In March, the National Economic Crime Centre coordinated a three-week crackdown against such businesses. We are taking further steps to tackle this problem. Companies House has introduced enhanced checks and identity verification requirements, and used new powers to remove false and misleading information from the companies register. Through the Pride in Place strategy, we are empowering communities to reclaim their high streets with powers to auction off vacant premises, a new Community Right to Buy for valued assets, and streamlined compulsory purchase orders.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77535 on Business Premises: Rents, what the names were of those (a) industry experts and (b) representatives of the retail, hospitality, and property sectors.

The government conducted considerable research and carried out engagement with numerous experts before deciding to ban upwards only rent reviews. A full Impact Assessment was published upon First Reading of the Bill on 10 July. It provides a summary of the economic analysis and research the government relied upon to reach the decision.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled Communities to seize control over high streets and restore pride, published on 24 September 2025, whether the Pride in Place funding replaces an existing funding stream.

On 25 September, the government launched its overarching Pride in Place Strategy, committing up to £5 billion in funding and support to 339 communities. The flagship Pride in Place Programme will provide up to £20 million in flexible funding and support to 244 places over the next decade. This includes the 75 places announced in March, alongside new funding for an additional 169 neighbourhoods. New areas have been selected using a robust metrics-based methodology, which focused on smaller geographies, targeting hyper-local pockets of deprivation. The full methodology is published here. In addition, the newly established Pride in Place Impact Fund will offer £1.5 million each to 95 places, aimed at developing shared spaces, revitalising local high streets, and enhancing the public realm. The place selection methodology is set out here.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77627 on Eden Project: Morecambe, whether he plans to allocate £100 million to the Eden Project North.

The department has committed £50 million towards the total project cost of £100 million for Eden Project Morecambe. The Memorandum of Understanding for the full £50 million grant, was fully signed on 19 November 2024.