Every parliamentary written question tabled by Kevin Hollinrake this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 381–400 of 1,585 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities offer Level 7 Apprenticeships.
MHCLG does not hold this data. Local authorities are independent employers and are responsible for managing the apprenticeships they offer to their workforce.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the reasons for the trends in the level of long-term rough sleeping in the last 12 months.
This Government inherited devastating record levels of homelessness and rough sleeping from the last Conservative government. There are multiple factors which can contribute to rough sleeping. Increases in living costs and limited suitable and affordable housing is driving overall increases in homelessness and rough sleeping, personal factors such as mental ill health and substance misuse can increase the risk of someone experiencing rough sleeping, including sleeping rough long-term.This is why the government is taking a joined-up approach working across government, and in partnership with local authorities and Mayors, to address the root causes of homelessness. The Deputy Prime Minister is chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy to get us back on track to ending homelessness.The government has also increased funding for homelessness and rough sleeping services by £233 million compared to 2024/25, bringing the total spend to nearly a billion pounds in 2025/26. This includes £185.6 million via the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant, providing local authorities with funding for rough sleeping services, including specialist support for those who have been sleeping rough long-term.
Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to respond to the consultation on Transparency of land ownership involving trusts, published in December 2023.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 30021 on 18 February 2025.
Communities and Local Government, whether she has issued a direction under section 321 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in relation to the Chinese Embassy planning application.
There is no direction under section 321 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in force in respect of this case.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 89 of the drawings entitled CD 1.03C: Proposed Drawings, submitted by the Chinese Government to the Planning Inspectorate’s called-in planning inquiry for the Chinese Embassy at the Royal Mint, what the security reasons are for redacting the internal floor plans of the Cultural Exchange building.
All Inquiry documents for this case are publicly available on Tower Hamlets website here. All material planning considerations will be taken into account when reaching a decision.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 50158 on Polygamy, if she will make it her policy to commission research on this issue.
The department has no plans to commission research on this issue. It has been the policy of successive governments to prevent the formation of polygamous households in the UK.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of people not from the UK or EU who are sleeping rough.
The expectation is that migrants coming into the UK should be able to maintain and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds. This reflects the need to maintain the confidence of general public that immigration brings benefits to our country, rather than add costs to the public purse. When individuals granted refugee status leave Home Office accommodation, they are entitled to help with finding accommodation from their local authority if homeless. If in priority need, they will be provided with temporary accommodation. The Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant funding can be used to help anyone, as long as areas act within the law in doing so.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the transparency data entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, April 2025, published on 30 May 2025, what the services commissioned from Verian Group UK Limited were.
The following sets out more detail of spend for Verian Group UK Ltd: The Rough Sleeping Questionnaire was carried out in 2019 to understand issues faced by those sleeping rough. The Department repeated the questionnaire in 2025 to update findings, and commissioned Verian to conduct the survey fieldwork with those sleeping rough. The PRS Place Based Quality Pilots are a set of pathfinder projects to improve enforcement of existing standards in the private rented sector. Verian have been commissioned to deliver an evaluation of the scheme, including a range of fieldwork and analysis of data. The Department commissioned Verian to research Demolition Planning Policy. Verian have conducted a survey of stakeholders across the industry to understand how and why decisions are made to demolish and redevelop or retrofit buildings, explore the role of national and local policy in decision-making and the tools and guidance used to inform decisions. The Department commissioned Verian to carry out focus groups and interviews about the levels of understanding around a number of policy areas relating to housing and infrastructure to help improve government communications to inform the Long Term Housing Strategy.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 52274 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Aviation, when she plans to deposit this information.
I will arrange for this information to be deposited in the House of Commons Library.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, what the purpose was of the payment to the Science Museum on Recruitment.
The payment to the Science Museum was for the National Railway Museum Levelling Up Culture capital project announced at the Spring Budget 2024. It has been incorrectly categorised on the document published on 28 April 2025. Officials will seek to correct this error.
Communities and Local Government, when her Department plans to respond to the First Report of the Speaker's Conference on the security of MPs, candidates and elections, published on 22 June 2025, HC 570; and whether political parties will be consulted prior to that response.
This government has made it clear that intimidation and abuse of those participating in public life has no place in our society and cannot be tolerated. We value the work done by the Speaker’s Conference to bring attention to and investigate this important issue. We will carefully consider the recommendations made by the Speaker’s Conference in their first report and will respond in due course. The government intends to engage with both political parties and external stakeholders prior to a formal response. This is a complex challenge, so the joint efforts of government, the police and parliament are crucial to addressing this issue. We will continue to engage with the Speaker’s Conference as they move into the next phase of their work
Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the number of second home dwellings liable for the second homes council tax premium being flipped to holiday lets liable for business rates; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of this on net revenues.
The government is not aware of any substantial evidence which demonstrates a trend of second homes being converted into holiday lets. There is a clear set of criteria before a holiday let can be assessed for business rates. The property must have been available to let for at least 140 days in the last year and actually let for at least 70 days in the last year. The government keeps all taxes under review.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2025 to Question HL070 on Unitary Councils, what criteria her Department plans to use to determine when to make a request to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England to (a) provide formal advice and (b) undertake a formal electoral review, in the context of Sections (i) 4 and (ii) 8 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.
As set out in my answers to PQ 38625 and 34287, my department is liaising closely with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) so that they are involved at the appropriate time. The process set out in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 allows the Secretary of State to seek the advice of the LGBCE on any matter relating to a proposal that has been submitted in response to an invitation. No criteria have been set for seeking advice, which will depend on the proposals received, as appropriate at the time. The LGBCE is responsible for its own work programme. It carries out electoral reviews for local government, reviewing wards, and setting the council size in terms of number of councillors.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Local government reorganisation: summary of feedback on interim plans, published on 3 June 2025, if she will publish each feedback letter sent to every council that submitted proposals for local government reorganisation.
We have no plans to publish the feedback provided to individual areas. There will be a significant volume of correspondence with local authorities as part of the reorganisation programme and we do not consider it appropriate to publish all of that correspondence. We have been clear to councils that our feedback is shareable should they wish to do so.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's transparency data entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, April 2025, published on 30 May 2025, if she will publish the specification of the research commissioned from Verian Group UK Limited for Research on Demolition and Planning Policy.
The report for the research in question is being finalised. We intend to publish this in due course, in line with departmental policy, including details of the research objectives and methodology.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of (a) the upfront cost to the public purse of local government restructuring and (b) the configuration of unitary restructuring necessary to deliver savings.
We have no estimate of the upfront cost of reorganisation. As set out in my answers to Question UIN 31960 answered on 3 March 2025, and Question UIN 48973 answered on 8 May 2025, the upfront costs of local government reorganisation will be a matter for local councils to consider as they develop their proposals. In our invitations to councils, we set out that proposals should set out how an area will seek to manage transition costs. We expect that areas will be able to meet potential costs over time from existing budgets, including the flexible use of capital receipts and invest-to-save projects, and the efficiencies from reorganisation.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Question 46286 on Housing, whether she plans to (a) bring forward legislative proposals and (b) update guidance on Empty Dwelling Management on the issuing of those orders for empty homes of the deceased.
As set out in the Devolution White paper, we are committed to strengthening local authority powers to take over the management of vacant residential premises. Further updates will be provided in due course.
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has a policy on the use of technical language in planning applications.
The government has no specific policy related to the use of technical language in planning applications.
Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the operation of the arrangements in relation to the implementation of Section 81 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 on the renaming of streets.
My Department continues to monitor the implementation of s.81 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question 51872 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Civil Servants, how many staff are in a redeployment position in each of her department's Arm's Length Bodies in the most recent period for which information is held.
The department does not hold this information.