Written questions by Hollinrake.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 December 2024 to Question 16892 on Regional Planning and Development: Finance, what her Department's policy is on the (a) continuation of the Thames Estuary Growth Board and (b) coordination of planning across the Thames Estuary area.

At the Autumn Budget, the Government confirmed that it would consult on its minded to decision to cease funding for pan-regional partnerships at the end of this financial year. The consultation sought to gather views from all interested parties on the impacts of this decision, should it be taken forward, and closed on 16 December. The Department is currently considering the responses received and will confirm a final decision shortly.The English Devolution White Paper, Power and Partnership: Foundations for Growth, published in December 2024, confirmed our commitment to strategic planning through the production of Spatial Development Strategies (SDSs) covering all of England. Legislation to enable this will be introduced in 2025 through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on the 16 December 2024, what discussions she had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer before setting the population threshold to 500,000 or more for newly formed councils.

Ministers regularly have meetings with colleagues across government.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2024 to Question 15453 on Local Government: Accountability, if she will take steps to make the data published under the Transparency Code more (a) accessible and (b) shareable as open data.

We are keeping the Code under review in the context of work to fix the foundations of local government and ensuring that it continues to support local accountability. Our approach to reforming local government is set out in the English Devolution White Paper. This includes fundamentally reforming the local audit system, rebuilding the vital early warning system to recover a key part of our assurance mechanisms, restoring local government standards, and ensuring transparency.We are supporting the Office for National Statistics to lead a refresh of the government’s subnational data strategy, including supporting “ONS Local to gather user needs and understand data gaps, provide data access, analytical support, and capability to local data leaders”.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain on the sale of land previously used for agriculture.

Mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain was introduced by the previous government through the Environment Act 2021. To support this, an impact assessment was undertaken in 2019 estimating the overall assessed cost of biodiversity net gain to developers and the effect on developable land prices. No subsequent assessment has been made under the current government.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department’s English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, what the evidential basis is for the decision to set new unitary council sizes at 500,000 or more.

The overall case for local government reorganisation is set out the English Devolution White Paper. New unitary councils must be the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks. For most areas this will mean creating councils with a population of 500,000 or more, but there may be exceptions to ensure new structures make sense for an area, including for devolution, and decisions will be on a case-by-case basis.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2024 to Question 15451 on Renters’ Rights Bill, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Impact Assessments (a) receive clearance from the Regulatory Policy Committee and (b) are published no later than the First Reading of a Bill.

The Department aims to publish Impact Assessments in a timely manner, in line with the ‘Better Regulation Framework’ guidance, which states that an Impact Assessment ‘should be published alongside relevant legislation when it is laid before Parliament.’In exceptional circumstances this may not be possible, for example, where the legislation is urgent, further work is needed following concerns expressed by the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) or where the assessment is with RPC for review. In those circumstances, the Department works with the RPC to ensure the Bill Impact Assessment and RPC opinion is published as soon as possible.

Communities and Local Government, what the (a) full time equivalent and (b) headcount number of staff assigned to work in each of her Department’s offices is.

The location of every departmental office and the number of staff assigned to work in each of those offices as at 31 December 2024, in both (a) full time equivalent and (b) headcount, is set out below.Office LocationFTEHeadcountBelfast2121Birmingham144147Birkenhead8791Bristol163167Cambridge5053Cardiff4445Darlington125127Edinburgh5152Exeter2426Hastings2326Hemel Hempstead5658Leeds163168London2,1632,220Manchester196201Newcastle6667Norwich1212Nottingham7072Plymouth2424Sheffield4851Truro1415Warrington5659Wolverhampton269277Grand Total3,8673,979

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2024 to Question 16200 on Local Government: Productivity, for what reason her Department does not routinely publish letters issued to local authorities. .

In line with the practice of successive previous governments, MHCLG does not regularly publish non-public correspondence between Ministers and local authorities. Local authorities are free to publish these letters if they believe it is beneficial to do so.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2024 to Question 15441 on Local Government: Staff, how the Local Government Workforce Development Group members will be selected; and whether the membership will be politically balanced.

Membership of the Workforce Development Group is composed of officers from both national and local government organisations. The group is focussed on the common interest of tackling local government workforce issues and is not party political. The inaugural meeting was chaired by the Minister for Local Government, and future meetings will be chaired by a senior official from MHCLG.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answers of 3 December 2024 to Question (a) 15923 and (b) 15934 on Mayors: Elections, for what reason Greater Lincolnshire is not listed as having a mayoral election in 2025.

Questions UIN 15923 and UIN 15934 concerned combined authorities. Greater Lincolnshire will be established as a combined county authority under legislation currently before Parliament. When that legislation is approved by Parliament, and made, the Greater Lincolnshire mayoral election will be added to the published list of elections.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2024 to Question 15439 on Local government finance, if she will list each of the bidding schemes that have operated in her Department in 2024-25.

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. We are inviting views on our objectives and principles for local government funding reform via a consultation that is open until the 12 February.In regard to Local Growth funding, this Government was elected on a manifesto that stressed a partnership approach with local authorities and an intention to stabilise the funding system by providing multi-year funding settlements and ending competitive bidding which was the requirement for funds such as Future High Streets Fund, Town Deals and the Levelling Up Fund.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions on (a) construction and (b) housebuilding.

The government considered the cost pressures facing all employers as part of the Spending Review process.

Communities and Local Government, on what dates the public hearings will be held for the Planning Inspectorate's inquiry into the Chinese Embassy planning application; and which planning inspector will be chairing the inquiry.

The desired information can be found here on the Appeals Casework Portal reference APP/E5900/V/24/3353754.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 6408 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Photography, whether her Department has recruited a photograp

As is the case already in other government departments, official photographers help to share the work of the department and ministers with the public.Photography and videography - for external use or on the department's corporate channels - can help to gi...

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release on building, published on 5 December 2024, what the mechanism is by which she plans to meet the target of 150 infrastructure deci

As part of its Plan for Change, the government has pledged to make decisions on at least 150 major infrastructure projects within this parliament. This target is aimed at projects of a certain type and over a certain size as set out under the Planning Act...

Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of new dwellings built in (a) England and (b) London were flats in the last year for which figures are available.

Annual estimates of the proportion of building control reported new build purpose-built flats in England and London are shown in Live Table 254, which can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, whether the decision to suspend councillors will be taken by (a) the full counci

On 18 December the Government launched a consultation to seek views from local authorities, sector bodies, and the public on a range of proposals to strengthen the local government standards regime and ensure there is a stronger, more consistent, and more...

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 December 2024 to Question 16480 on Community Cohesion, if she will publish the (a) membership and (b) terms of reference of the Communities and Recove

Membership and Terms of Reference for the Community and Recovery Steering Group will be published in due course.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 December 2024 to Question 17009 on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, whether she had discussions with (a) the Prime Minister or (b) 10 Downing Str

I refer the Hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 17009 on 6 December 2024.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the target of 1.5 million new homes in the context of net migration.

I refer the hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 2451 on 5 September 2024.