Written questions by McMurdock.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure council spending is (a) efficient and (b) value for money for taxpayers.

Local authorities are independent of central government. Councils are responsible for managing their own financial positions and services, including ensuring that their spending is efficient and delivers value for money for taxpayers; the department is not involved in local decisions.Statutory best value guidance clarifies the government’s expectations of how local authorities must make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which their functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness (the Best Value Duty). In the event of failure to uphold these standards, the Secretary of State has powers of intervention to ensure an authority’s compliance with that Duty.In December the government launched a strategy to overhaul the broken local audit system in England and embed transparency and value for money across local government.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of National Insurance contribution increases on (a) council budgets and (b) the financial sustainability of council spending.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 33203 and Question UIN 33258 on 3 March 2025.The government is committed to pursuing a comprehensive set of reforms for public services to return the local government sector to a sustainable position. This will be done in partnership with local government and on the principle of giving forward notice and certainty to allow time for councils to plan.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with councils increasing council tax on the potential impact of those increases on residents.

Local authorities are responsible for deciding the level of council tax. The government held a consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement, providing opportunity for the public and local authorities to share views on the proposed referendum principles.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of local government reorganisation on council finances in the context of existing financial pressures.

The English Devolution White Paper set out that Government will facilitate a programme of local government reorganisation. This can help strengthen local leadership, improve local services, save taxpayers’ money, and improve local accountability. In 2020 a PwC report, “Evaluating the importance of scale in proposals for local government reorganisation”, for the County Councils Network, estimated that reorganisation of the then 25 two-tier areas to a single unitary structure would have a one-off cost of £400 million, with the potential to realise £2.9 billion over five years, with an annual post-implementation net recurring saving of £700 million. The unitary proposals submitted in relation to the most recently established unitary councils identified a range of efficiencies that could be achieved where council services are brought together in one organisation. For North Yorkshire Council, established in April 2023, unitarisation has enabled the council to manage financial pressures through structural changes and service transformation which are expected to achieve more than £40 million in savings by March 2026. However, it is important to note that the scale of savings are dependent on the size and number of unitary authorities which are created. It is for local areas to develop proposals which are then submitted to government. Scale and efficiency will be an important element in those considerations, alongside a range of other factors. In our invitation we have set out guidance to support councils as they develop proposals that are in the best interests of their areas. This includes guidance on issues of size, sensible geographies, efficiencies and financial sustainability. The criteria we will assess proposals against include the ability to achieve financial efficiencies.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with Thurrock Council on council tax rises.

Local authorities are responsible for deciding the level of council tax. The government held a consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement, providing opportunity for the public and local authorities to share views on the proposed referendum principles.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Local Government Information Unit's report entitled 2025 State of Local Government Finance in England, published in March 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of forecasts that 6% of councils will face effective bankruptcy in the next financial year.

We have delivered a Settlement that has begun to fix the foundations of local government by providing significant investment and redirecting funding towards the services and places that need it most. The Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25.We are committed to pursuing a comprehensive set of reforms for public services to fix the foundations of local government, in partnership with the sector and on the principle of giving councils early certainty. The government has committed to a multi-year Spending Review later this year, and we will therefore provide a multi-year funding settlement alongside much needed funding reform in 2026-27.We are however, under no illusion about the fragile state of the sector and the pressures that some councils are facing and recognise the potential for continued instability as we work to fix the foundations of local government. That is why we have a framework in place to support councils in the most difficult financial positions and will continue work on a collaborative basis to help them manage financial challenges.As always, the department stands ready to speak to any council that has concerns about its finances and we will treat all discussions in confidence, with respect and determination to find a solution together.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to improve transparency in the pre-application process for nationally significant infrastructure projects.

Duties set out Chapter 2 to Part 5 of the Planning Act 2008 require applicants for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) to publicise their proposals and consult specific persons and bodies as part of the pre-application process before their application is submitted. Paragraph 006 of the pre-application guidance sets out the statutory requirements applicants need to comply with, which includes publishing their Statement of Community Consultation. The relevant guidance can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/planning-act-2008-pre-application-stage-for-nationally-significant-infrastructure-projects.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the recent increase in the number of households in temporary accommodation in Thurrock.

Homelessness levels are far too high. There are far too many living in temporary accommodation - including 560 families and 839 children in Thurrock as of the 30 September 2024. This is symptomatic of the housing crisis we have inherited and is not acceptable. We know being in temporary accommodation can have a devastating impact on people, particularly children. That is why we will take the action needed to tackle this issue, working across government and with local leaders to develop a long-term strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness.We are already taking the first steps to get us back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget in October, funding for homelessness services is increasing next year by £233 million compared to this year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total spend to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26. As part of this, we are providing an uplift of £192.9 million to the Homelessness Prevention Grant, bringing total funding for 2025/26 to £633.2 million - the largest investment in this grant since it began.We are also addressing the use of emergency accommodation for homeless families, including the use of bed and breakfast, through a new £8 million programme of Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots. We are working with the 20 local authorities with the highest levels of B&B use for homeless families to test innovative approaches and kickstart new initiatives.We are also tackling the root causes of homelessness, including by delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. We will also abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions with immediate effect, preventing private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empowering people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.Accredited official statistics on statutory homelessness applications, duties, and outcomes for local authorities in England were published on the 27 February 2025 and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities experiencing a significant rise in the number of families requiring temporary accommodation.

Homelessness levels are far too high. There are far too many living in temporary accommodation - including 560 families and 839 children in Thurrock as of the 30 September 2024. This is symptomatic of the housing crisis we have inherited and is not acceptable. We know being in temporary accommodation can have a devastating impact on people, particularly children. That is why we will take the action needed to tackle this issue, working across government and with local leaders to develop a long-term strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness.We are already taking the first steps to get us back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget in October, funding for homelessness services is increasing next year by £233 million compared to this year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total spend to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26. As part of this, we are providing an uplift of £192.9 million to the Homelessness Prevention Grant, bringing total funding for 2025/26 to £633.2 million - the largest investment in this grant since it began.We are also addressing the use of emergency accommodation for homeless families, including the use of bed and breakfast, through a new £8 million programme of Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots. We are working with the 20 local authorities with the highest levels of B&B use for homeless families to test innovative approaches and kickstart new initiatives.We are also tackling the root causes of homelessness, including by delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. We will also abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions with immediate effect, preventing private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empowering people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.Accredited official statistics on statutory homelessness applications, duties, and outcomes for local authorities in England were published on the 27 February 2025 and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness.

Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate she has made of the number of people in England owed homelessness prevention or relief duty.

Homelessness levels are far too high. There are far too many living in temporary accommodation - including 560 families and 839 children in Thurrock as of the 30 September 2024. This is symptomatic of the housing crisis we have inherited and is not acceptable. We know being in temporary accommodation can have a devastating impact on people, particularly children. That is why we will take the action needed to tackle this issue, working across government and with local leaders to develop a long-term strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness.We are already taking the first steps to get us back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget in October, funding for homelessness services is increasing next year by £233 million compared to this year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total spend to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26. As part of this, we are providing an uplift of £192.9 million to the Homelessness Prevention Grant, bringing total funding for 2025/26 to £633.2 million - the largest investment in this grant since it began.We are also addressing the use of emergency accommodation for homeless families, including the use of bed and breakfast, through a new £8 million programme of Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots. We are working with the 20 local authorities with the highest levels of B&B use for homeless families to test innovative approaches and kickstart new initiatives.We are also tackling the root causes of homelessness, including by delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. We will also abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions with immediate effect, preventing private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empowering people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.Accredited official statistics on statutory homelessness applications, duties, and outcomes for local authorities in England were published on the 27 February 2025 and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness.

Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for the publication of the Government Strategy for Elections.

We will be setting out the Government’s approach to elections and electoral reform for this Parliament in a published document before summer recess. This will include our approach to the delivery of our manifesto commitments and the outcomes of our review of electoral registration and conduct, in which we are consulting with various sector stakeholders.

Communities and Local Government, how many Voter Authority Certificates have been issued since January 2023.

224,106 applications for Voter Authority Certificates have been received between January 2023 and 13 February 2025. The decision to issue or reject an application is a matter for the relevant Electoral Registration Officer.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to review voter identification rules.

This government is committed to reviewing and, where necessary, making changes to the voter identification policy to address any aspects that prevent or discourage legitimate electors from voting. This review includes assessing data from research and consulting with stakeholders such as the Electoral Commission. On the 14th of October the government laid the statutory instrument required to add the Veteran Card to the list of identification documents accepted in polling stations. Any further proposals for changes to the policy wil lbe brought forwards in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to (a) increase standards and (b) improve the regulation of social housing.

All registered providers of social housing are required to deliver the outcomes of the regulatory standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing.On 1 April 2024, to complement the existing proactive economic regulation of private registered providers of social housing, a new, proactive consumer regulation regime was introduced. The Regulator of Social Housing has begun proactively seeking assurances that registered providers are meeting the outcomes of the strengthened consumer standards through routine inspections of large landlords (those with more than 1,000 homes). Following inspection, the Regulator issues all large landlords with a consumer grading to ensure it is clear how landlords are performing.The Regulator works intensively with providers who are not delivering the outcomes set out in the standards and has a series of powers at its disposal when it identifies serious failings.The government is committed to taking further action to raise quality standards in both rented sectors, and to strengthen residents’ voices. In the coming months, we will bring forward legislation on Awaab’s law for the social rented sector, consult on a new Decent Homes Standard, and introduce new requirements on competence and conduct and access to information.

Communities and Local Government, what criteria her Department plans to use to determine how additional funding for the Affordable Homes Programme will be distributed.

The government is committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.At the Budget on 30 October 2024, the Chancellor set out details of an immediate one-year cash injection of £500 million to top up the existing Affordable Homes Programme which will deliver up to 5,000 new social and affordable homes.On 12 February 2025, the government announced a further cash injection of £300 million to the existing Affordable Homes Programme which will deliver up to 2,800 new homes, with more than half being Social Rent homes.In awarding contracts under the programme, Homes England and the GLA respectively assess the need for grant on a site-by-site basis. In agreeing how much grant a project requires they will take into account the costs for building out the site with how much grant is needed to make that project viable, and the overall value for money for the programme.More details of the bidding process and criteria can be found on gov.uk here for London and on gov.uk here for projects outside London.

Communities and Local Government, what engagement she has had with local communities on the construction of the Coryton Energy Park.

Due to the role of MHCLG Ministers in the planning system it would not be appropriate for me to comment on specific cases. For the same reason, Ministers do not actively engage communities in relation to specific development proposals.Local planning authorities are required to publicise applications for a minimum of 21 days, prior to determining planning applications, and must take any material matters raised into consideration when making a decision.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to (a) increase awareness of fire risks for residents living near to Coryton Energy Park and (b) provide information to residents about what they can do to stay safe in the event of a fire.

Due to the role of MHCLG Ministers in the planning system it would not be appropriate for me to comment on specific cases. For the same reason, Ministers do not actively engage communities in relation to specific development proposals.The Health and Safety Executive regulates grid-scale batteries within a robust framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance to fire safety, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has conducted an impact assessment of the fire risk for residents living near Coryton Energy Park.

Due to the role of MHCLG Ministers in the planning system it would not be appropriate for me to comment on specific cases. For the same reason, Ministers do not actively engage communities in relation to specific development proposals.The Health and Safety Executive regulates grid-scale batteries within a robust framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance to fire safety, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.

Communities and Local Government, when she plans to publish the long-term housing strategy; and what key objectives will be included to provide long-term certainty to the housing market.

The government intend to publish a long-term housing strategy later this year.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the written ministerial statement of 10 February 2025 on Homeowners next steps, HCWS427, what her planned timeline is for digitalising property data and transactions.

The government committed to two projects to digitalise the home buying and selling process, including opening up local authority data and developing common data standards. These will be launched in the spring.