Written questions by McMurdock.

Communities and Local Government, if he will list the ten local authorities which incurred the highest asylum-related social care costs in the 2024-25 financial year.

MHCLG collects data about local authorities’ spend on all services through the General Fund revenue outturn collection, including spend on social care for asylum seekers in the General Fund Revenue Account Outturn RO3 - Social Care and Public Health Services. The collection for each financial year is published online here: Local authority revenue expenditure and financing - GOV.UK. The guidance notes which describe what should be captured in each line can be found here: General fund revenue account outturn: specific guidance notes - GOV.UK.The reported spend is available for both the national and local authority level.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer given to question 109756 on 4 February 2026, for what reason he will not publish the representations received.

On 23 February, the Secretary of State has now provided an update to the House on local elections: WMS HCWS1349.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help reduce the concentration of asylum-related social care costs in a small number of local authorities.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 answered on 12 February 2026.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with the leader of Kent County Council on the potential impact of delays in asylum decision-making contribute on local authority social care costs.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 answered on 12 February 2026.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to publish regular forecasts of asylum-related social care costs incurred by local authorities.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 answered on 12 February 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of asylum-related social care costs on (a) council tax levels and (b) core service provision.

The government is committed to ensuring that funding is targeted effectively at the places and services that need it most. This includes committing to multi-year allocations for each council through the 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement and moving to a more up-to-date assessment of each council’s needs and resources. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities. Local authorities report revenue expenditure and financing through the following data collection, which is publicly available and includes data from each financial year since 2019-20: Local authority revenue expenditure and financing - GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, how much and what proportion of local authority spending on asylum-related social care was reimbursed by central government in each financial year since 2019-20.

The government is committed to ensuring that funding is targeted effectively at the places and services that need it most. This includes committing to multi-year allocations for each council through the 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement and moving to a more up-to-date assessment of each council’s needs and resources. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities. Local authorities report revenue expenditure and financing through the following data collection, which is publicly available and includes data from each financial year since 2019-20: Local authority revenue expenditure and financing - GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on (a) changes in local authority spending on social care for asylum seekers between 2019-20 and 2024-25 and (b) the reasons for those changes.

MHCLG collects data about local authorities’ spend on all services through the General Fund revenue outturn collection, including spend on social care for asylum seekers in the General Fund Revenue Account Outturn RO3 - Social Care and Public Health Services. The collection for each financial year is published online here: Local authority revenue expenditure and financing - GOV.UK. The guidance notes which describe what should be captured in each line can be found here: General fund revenue account outturn: specific guidance notes - GOV.UK.The reported spend is available for both the national and local authority level.

Communities and Local Government, what the cost to local authorities was of providing social care to asylum seekers in each financial year since 2019-20 by (a) adults, (b) children in families and (c) unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

MHCLG collects data about local authorities’ spend on all services through the General Fund revenue outturn collection, including spend on social care for asylum seekers in the General Fund Revenue Account Outturn RO3 - Social Care and Public Health Services. The collection for each financial year is published online here: Local authority revenue expenditure and financing - GOV.UK. The guidance notes which describe what should be captured in each line can be found here: General fund revenue account outturn: specific guidance notes - GOV.UK.The reported spend is available for both the national and local authority level.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of local authority expenditure on asylum-related social care in 2025-26 and 2026-27.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111400 answered on 12 February 2026.

Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities will have discretion following the implementation of electoral boundary changes to determine whether elections are held by thirds, halves, or all-out elections without further primary or secondary legislation.

The legislation governing councils’ power to choose its own scheme of elections is set out in Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. The legislation permits non-metropolitan district councils to choose to move to electing by thirds or halves where they have previously held elections by thirds or halves.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2006 to Question 107949 on Local Government: Elections, whether Basildon councillors elected for two year terms in 2024, whose elections in 2026 have been postponed, will be up for election in 2027.

In areas where elections are postponed, existing councillors will have their term of office extended for a short period to smooth the transition to new unitary councils. We expect elections then to take place at the earliest opportunity in 2027 to the new councils. A councillor can stand in elections for the new unitary authority at the same time as serving their term in the existing council.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January to Question 107950 on Local Government: Elections, what will be the length of term of Thurrock councillors elected in 2022.

In areas where elections are postponed, existing councillors will have their term of office extended for a short period to smooth the transition to new unitary councils. We expect elections then to take place at the earliest opportunity in 2027 to the new councils. A councillor can stand in elections for the new unitary authority at the same time as serving their term in the existing council.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his letter to Councillor Kevin Bentley on 29 January 2026, if he will publish the email received from Cllr Kevin Bentley on 22 January 2026 referenced in the letter.

The Government has no plans to publish the representations received.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled PM: “We're capping ground rents at £250”, published on 27 January 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed cap to ground rent on levels of rent set by landlords.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278) as well as the corresponding ground rent policy statement which can be found on gov.uk here.An Impact Assessment and response to the 2023 ground rent consultation will be published in due course to support scrutiny of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled PM: “We're capping ground rents at £250”, published on 27 January 2026, what proportion of leaseholders will have ground rents reduced immediately upon commencement of the cap.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278) as well as the corresponding ground rent policy statement which can be found on gov.uk here.An Impact Assessment and response to the 2023 ground rent consultation will be published in due course to support scrutiny of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled PM: “We're capping ground rents at £250”, published on 27 January 2026, whether the proposed peppercorn ground rent cap after 40 years will apply retroactively.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278) as well as the corresponding ground rent policy statement which can be found on gov.uk here.An Impact Assessment and response to the 2023 ground rent consultation will be published in due course to support scrutiny of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled PM: “We're capping ground rents at £250”, published on 27 January 2026, what estimate his Department has made of the number of residential leaseholders paying more than £250 on ground rent.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278) as well as the corresponding ground rent policy statement which can be found on gov.uk here.An Impact Assessment and response to the 2023 ground rent consultation will be published in due course to support scrutiny of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled PM: “We're capping ground rents at £250”, published on 27 January 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of those reforms on mortgage availability and property sales for leasehold homes.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278) as well as the corresponding ground rent policy statement which can be found on gov.uk here.An Impact Assessment and response to the 2023 ground rent consultation will be published in due course to support scrutiny of the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

Communities and Local Government, whether he had discussions with the Leader of Thurrock Council before announcing the delay to the 2026 local elections in Thurrock.

In reaching his decisions, as set out to Parliament on 22 January, the Secretary of State carefully considered all the representations made, including those relating to elections in Thurrock. The Secretary of State did not have meetings with the Leader of Thurrock Council on 2026 local elections, prior to the announcement of 22 January.