Written questions by Hollinrake.

Communities and Local Government, how many homes for (a) social rent, (b) affordable rent and (c) low-cost ownership she expects to be built under the Affordable Homes Programme 2021 to 2026.

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.In October 2024, the government announced £500 million in new in-year funding for the Affordable Homes Programme. As a result of significant demand from housing providers across the country, that additional funding is already oversubscribed.In February 2025, the government announced a further allocation of £300 million to the Affordable Homes Programme. This will support the near-term delivery of more social and affordable housing, delivering up to 2,800 new homes with more than half being Social Rent homes.At the multi-year Spending Review later this year, the government will set out details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for Social Rent.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 24239 on Local Government: Constituencies, whether he plans to review the (a) size, (b) boundaries, (c) names and (d) number of ceremonial counties.

Ceremonial counties are an important element of local traditions which support the identity and cultures of many of our local communities, giving people a sense of belonging, pride and community spirit, and are defined by historical borders and areas that exist primarily for ceremonial purposes. There are no intentions to realign or alter these boundaries.

Communities and Local Government, what funding is being provided to support more localities to (a) produce and (b) update neighbourhood plans.

There is no requirement to update a neighbourhood plan. However, we recognise some communities may wish to update their plans in response to changes to the National Planning Policy Framework.Groups continue to receive the financial and technical support they have been awarded for both the production and updating of neighbourhood plans.We will make announcements in due course regarding the new support contract for 2025-26 and beyond, but intend to open for new applications from Summer 2025.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 23350 on Council Tax, whether her estimate of the (a) total level and (b) annual increase in average Band D council tax in England including parish precepts has changed since the publication of the final local government finance settlement on 3 February 2025.

Council tax levels are decided by local authorities, taking account of their local circumstances. The Government will publish data on the council tax levels set by all authorities and the average Band D bill for 2025-26, in England, in March.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the end of the statutory override for the Dedicated Schools Grant on the ability of local authorities to set General Fund Accounts.

The government recognises the impact that Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficits are having on councils’ finances and will continue to work with the sector on a way forward.The government intends to set out plans for reforming the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) system in further detail this year. This will include details of how we will support local authorities to deal with their historic and accruing deficits and any transition period from the current SEND system to the reformed system. This will inform any decision to remove the DSG statutory override.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the ending of the statutory override for the Dedicated Schools Grant on the financial viability of local authority budgets.

The government recognises the impact that Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficits are having on councils’ finances and will continue to work with the sector on a way forward.The government intends to set out plans for reforming the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) system in further detail this year. This will include details of how we will support local authorities to deal with their historic and accruing deficits and any transition period from the current SEND system to the reformed system. This will inform any decision to remove the DSG statutory override.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the debate during the National Security Bill of 4 July 2024, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 1125, whether she has had discussions with the Electoral Commission on increasing data sharing from public authorities to political parties.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the Question UIN 23153 answered on 29 January 2025.

Communities and Local Government, how much funding her Department has provided to Homes England for the remediation of (a) contaminated and (b) brownfield land.

The Department is unable to provide the information requested as Homes England is not delegated a budget specifically for the remediation of land.The government’s Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land Programme (National and London) is designed to unlock brownfield land. A proportion of funding from it is spent on land remediation.As set out in in the 2023/24 Homes England Annual Report and Accounts, the Agency spent £33 million on the BIL Programme in that year, the first year of the programme. The funding allocation to end of 28/29 for the BIL Programme is £1 billion.

Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the amount Birmingham City Council (a) raised in council tax in 2024-25 and (b) paid out in employer contributions to the Local Government Pension Scheme.

The government will publish data on the amount of council tax collected by billing authorities through the financial year in June, in the usual way. The Department collects limited information on employers’ retirement benefit costs for a sample of authorities in order to estimate the subjective analysis return statistics, published as part of the local authority revenue expenditure and financing England statistics. This sample includes Birmingham council and data for 2024-25 will be collected later in 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to local government on the number of people standing for election to local councils.

Local government reorganisation, can help strengthen local leadership, improve services, save taxpayers’ money, and improve local accountability.The department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of reorganisation on the number of people standing for election in local councils. We recognise that Councillors at all levels of local government do a tremendous job in serving their communities day-in and day-out, helping deliver for their local area. All councillors are frontline councillors.We know people value the role of governance at the community scale and that can be a concern when local government is reorganised. The letter that I sent on 5 February to all councils in two-tier areas and neighbouring unitaries inviting proposals for reorganisation set out that “New unitary structures should enable stronger community level governance and deliver genuine opportunity for neighbourhood empowerment”.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 7 January 2025 to Question HL3663 on Public Bodies: Translation Services, if she will take steps to remind (a) local authorities and (b) public bodies of the guidance entitled Translation into Foreign Languages, published by the Department for Communities and Local Government on 12 March 2013, Official Report, Column 5WS.

The Government continues to recognise the official status of certain non-English languages in the UK, including Irish in Northern Ireland and Welsh in Wales.More broadly, we continue to encourage local authorities and public bodies to balance their obligations to public service with their obligations to provide value-for-money to the taxpayer.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 27158 on Planning Permission, for what reason planning powers are being transferred to a sub-regional level.

The government intends to implement strategic planning at a sub-regional level through the production of Spatial Development Strategies to facilitate effective cross-boundary working to address development and infrastructure needs.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to increase densification of developments and housing on brownfield land in inner cities.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 broadened the definition of brownfield land, set a strengthened expectation that applications on brownfield land will be approved, and made clear that plans should promote an uplift in density in urban areas.On 22 September 2024, the government also published a ‘brownfield passport’ working paper inviting views on how we might further prioritise and fast-track building on previously used urban land. This included exploring the role of national policy in setting minimum density expectations for certain types of locations, to support intensification in the right places. The deadline for providing responses to the working paper was Friday 28 February and the government is analysing the feedback.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 12 February 2025 on Further support for social and affordable housebuilding and next steps on supported housing, HCWS447, if she will list the (a) tenure types and (b) estimated average grant subsidy per unit of the 2,800 homes.

On 12 February 2025, the government announced the allocation of a further £300 million to the Affordable Homes Programme. This will support the near-term delivery of more social and affordable housing, delivering up to 2,800 new homes with more than half being Social Rent homes. As set out in my answer to Question UIN 16935 on 16 December 2024, the government will continue to work with Homes England and the Greater London Authority (GLA) to support them to deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and home-ownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for Social Rent. While this funding remains open to bidding the average grant rates per home are commercially sensitive. The final grant rate and mix of tenure types will also depend on the bids received, and assessment of them, by Homes England and the GLA, including assessing deliverability and value for money.

Communities and Local Government, how much Homes England has spent on consultants since 5 July 2024.

Since 5 July 2024 to present Homes England has spent £2,240,319.90 (excluding VAT) on consultants to provide external advice and support on a number of key projects to improve the operations of the agency.For transparency, all Agency consultancy spend over £250 is published on Homes England’s website.

Communities and Local Government, how much her private office has spent through departmental Government Procurement Cards since 4 July 2024.

MHCLG publishes details of spending using an electronic purchasing card solution (ePCS) on a monthly basis, which can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question HL4075 on Royal Mint: Buildings, what steps the Planning Inspectorate is taking to ensure that it receives advice on national security matters as part of its inquiry on the Chinese Embassy application; and whether such advice must be shared with the applicant.

When dealing with evidence relating to national security, or any other matters, the Inspector will exercise impartial judgment and must not be subject to any improper influence, nor appear to be subject to such influence.There should be no evidence before the Inspector, which is not also available to the parties, and it will be solely for the Inspector to decide what weight to attribute to any evidence when writing their report to the Secretary of State.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, whether (a) combined authorities and (b) combined county authorities will have different (i) funding and (ii) powers.

We will create in law the concept of a Strategic Authority, with three levels. Foundation Strategic Authorities, Mayoral Strategic Authorities and Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities. A Strategic Authority will typically be a combined authority, combined county authority or, in London, the Greater London Authority. The powers and funding areas receive will depend on which level of Strategic Authority it is, not whether it is a combined authority or a combined county authority. Local authorities, including combined authorities, are responsible for their own borrowing and investment decisions but must do so within the framework of legislation and guidance designed to support borrowing that is prudent, affordable and sustainable. The government has responsibility for the framework and uses information and data from a range of sources to monitor sector behaviour, including levels of borrowing and debt, to determine if changes to the framework are needed to better constrain risk. Where excessive risk from borrowing practices is identified in an individual authority, the government will take direct action if necessary.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the empty homes council tax premium on the number of dwellings categorised by local authorities as being empty.

Councils have the discretionary power to charge a council tax premium of up to 100% on homes left empty for one or more years, a change from the prior two years. It is for councils to decide whether to introduce the empty homes premium, and at what level, based on local circumstances. I have included a table showing the change in the number of dwellings classed as empty homes in the last five years (excluding those which are exempt). This is taken from the 2024 council taxbase data. 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Total number of dwellings classed as empty479,336468,070478,928480,845502,263Number of dwellings classed as empty charged a premium69,20171,63072,34175,803119,606

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 23909 on Council tax, whether Band D council tax set by the local authority will be taken into account in the assumed council tax metric; and how the taxbase will be calculated for precepting bodies which are not a local billing authority.

We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation on funding reform which ran from 18 December 2024 – 12 February 2025 and sought views on how we will account for differences in locally raised resources. A response has not yet been published, but the consultation does not propose that the Band D level set by a local authority will be accounted for in the assumed council tax metric. It is standard practice to calculate the taxbase of precepting authorities using the taxbases of the billing authorities in its area, and the consultation did not propose to change this.