Written questions by Hollinrake.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 23351 on Regulator of Social Housing: Translation Services, which document includes guidance to registered providers of social housing on supplying information in different languages.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 23351 on 21 January 2025 and the answer given to Question UIN 30140 on 18 February 2025.I also refer the hon. Member to the Regulator of Social Housing’s Transparency, Influence and Accountability standard, which can be found on gov.uk here and the consumer standards Code of Practice which can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to make use of Legislative Reform Orders to deliver changes to primary legislation.

Ministers consider a range of legislative and non-legislative options to deliver the Government’s Plan for Change.All legislation will be presented before Parliament to consider in the usual way.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2025,to Question 26561 on HM Land Registry: Buildings, how many Land Registry staff assigned to work in the Croydon office attended that office in person on average in December 2024.

359 staff assigned to work in the Croydon office attended that office in person in December 2024. No adjustment has been made to attendance numbers to account for those on short term leave.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 29001 on Local Government: Elections, whether the scheduled 2026 district council elections will be cancelled if a decision is taken in the two-tier area to move ahead with unitary local government restructuring.

There are no plans to cancel district council elections in 2026. The government’s starting point is for all elections to go ahead unless there is strong justification. The date of any unitary council elections will depend on the nature of proposals for local government reorganisation and progress on development of those proposals. Members could review the numerous examples of reorganisations which took place under the previous government to better understand the practical steps taken as the programme progresses.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 23793 on National Identity, for what reason establishing strategic authorities will augment (a) pride in England and (b) the English national identity.

We want to see all of England benefit from devolution, with full devolution coverage across the country, with an ambition for all areas to have a Mayor. Mayors will be able to come together at the Mayoral Council to consider issues that affect England, and will represent England at the Council of Nations and Regions. Further the creation of the Mayoral Council as a England wide body, together with the Leaders Council allows for senior elected members in the country to demonstrate collective leadership.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question MHCLG: 23916 on MHCLG: Legal Costs, whether it is her Department's policy that (a) organisations may be classified as extremist but will not be publicly named as such, (b) organisations will not be classified as extremist, (c) Ministers may name organisations as extremist when covered by Parliamentary privilege.

It has been a long standing rule under successive governments that the Home Office does not comment on specific groups or individual cases.The government’s focus is to reduce and disrupt the influence of high-harm groups and individuals and the spread of extremist ideologies that can lead to community division and to radicalisation into terrorism. Where there is evidence of purposeful actions that are potentially radicalising others into terrorism or violence, proportionate legislative action will be considered.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department engages with Greenpeace.

The department does not currently engage or is intending any engagement with Greenpeace.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2025 to Question 13622 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Industrial Disputes, what the issue relating to office attendance between HM Land Registry and PCS is.

The disputed issue between PCS and HM Land Registry on the matter of office attendance relates to the government’s requirement for civil servants to attend the office for 60% of the time and HM Land Registry’s implementation of the requirement. Talks with PCS to conclude the dispute are ongoing.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of (a) 7 February 2025 to Question 27249 and (b) 11 February 2025 to Question 28154 on MHCLG: Staff, if she will publish figures for (a) each individual departmental office and (b) the number of aggregate, numeric staff attendances there were in an average week, for December 2024.

MHCLG publishes quarterly HQ Occupancy Statistics for its headquarters at 2 Marsham Street, London (not proportional attendance). We do not intend to publish regional information or numeric staff attendances.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2025 to Question 27157 on Council of the Nations and Regions: National Identity, whether there is a requirement of a sense of regional identity to qualify as a recognised region.

The government will consider proposals for future devolution agreements against the criteria set out in the White Paper. A vital element of successful devolution is the ability for local residents to engage with and hold their devolved institutions to account – and local identity is therefore one of these criteria.

Communities and Local Government, what obligations local authorities have to provide state-subsidised housing to people with refugee status; and what priority they have.

Eligibility for social housing in England is tightly controlled. If a person’s visa means that they cannot access state benefits or local authority housing assistance, they are not eligible for an allocation of social housing. Among those eligible for social housing, priority is determined according to need. Refugees are not automatically granted a priority need. If an asylum seeker receives a positive decision on their claim, asylum-pathway refugees have their housing needs considered on the same basis as other eligible applicants in accordance with the local authority’s housing allocation scheme. Local authorities supporting resettled refugees who arrive in the UK via the UK Resettlement Scheme do so on a voluntary basis. The previous government consulted on changes to social housing allocation tests. This government’s response was published on 2 September and can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2025 to Question 27157 on Council of the Nations and Regions: National Identity, what role Ministers have in determining the size and geography of a region where local stakeholders do not consent to such a classification.

The government will consider proposals for future devolution agreements against the criteria set out in the White Paper. A vital element of successful devolution is the ability for local residents to engage with and hold their devolved institutions to account – and local identity is therefore one of these criteria.

Communities and Local Government, whether new mayors in combined county authorities will have powers to (a) revoke, (b) amend or (c) disregard the agreed local plans of local planning authorities.

Mayors in combined county authorities will not be given any new powers to revoke, amend or disregard adopted local plans. There are existing provisions set out in Schedule A1 to the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, which allow the Secretary of State to invite the Mayor of London or a combined authority to prepare or revise a local plan where a local planning authority are failing to do anything that it is necessary for them to do in connection with the preparation, revision or adoption of a local plan. These powers are also extended to combined county authorities by the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023, although the relevant provisions are not yet in force.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 21697 on Voting Rights: Foreign Nationals, whether she has considered amending the franchise for elections to (a) the UK Parliament, (b) Northern Ireland Assembly, (c) local government elections in England and Northern Ireland and (d) Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 21697, the Government has no plans to amend the voting rights of foreign nationals for elections to the UK Parliament, Northern Ireland Assembly, local government elections in England and Northern Ireland and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales. In common with most other democracies, voting rights are limited to citizens. In addition, in UK elections for which the UK Government and Parliament have responsibility (that is, not devolved elections in Scotland and Wales), Commonwealth and Irish citizens can vote, while eligible EU citizens can vote in elections which use the local government register.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2025 to Question HL4406 on Local Government: Reorganisation, how many individual Ministerial direction powers she plans to legislate for across the (a) English Devolution Bill and (b) the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

All Ministerial direction powers legislated across the English Devolution Bill and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be set out during introduction and passage of each Bill through Parliament.

How her Department plans to share services between the (a) fire and rescue and (b) police services; and if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of establishing Police and Fire Service Commissioners.

The Policing and Crime Act 2017 requires ambulance trusts, fire and rescue bodies and police bodies in England to consider collaboration opportunities.These include, where appropriate, sharing estates and assets where it is considered that it would result in improved efficiency or effectiveness for one or more partner.Police and Crime Commissioners in several areas have also taken responsibility for governance of local fire and rescue services, and the Government is bringing forward legislation to establish more mayoral authorities which could be responsible for both police and fire and rescue.

Communities and Local Government, with which principal local authorities Ministers in her Department have not had meetings with since 4 July 2024.

Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on gov.uk.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 26030 on Radicalism, what his planned timetable is for the publication; and when the steering group next plans to meet.

We plan to publish this information as soon as possible. We expect to meet next in the coming months.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 29001 on Local Government: Elections, whether the 2027-2028 go-live dates are after a period of operation as a shadow authority; and what her preferred period of time is that a body should be in shadow status to prepare for its establishment.

We have been clear in the invitation letter that we will work with areas to move to elections to new ‘shadow’ unitary councils as soon as possible, as is the usual arrangement in the process of local government reorganisation. Detailed timings will depend on the proposals submitted, but we envisage a period of operation as a shadow authority , ahead of go-live on 1 April the following year.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28051 on Affordable Housing: Construction, what the level of sub-market rents should be in properties that are not for social rent; and whether sub-market rents are included within the affordable rent model.

Affordable or Intermediate Rent is defined as homes let at least 20% below local market rents (affordable rental properties) or let at rates set between market rents and social rents (intermediate rental properties). Social Rent is set through the National Rent Regime in England at around 50% of market rents. Affordable housing may also be targeted to address a specific need, such as specialist housing for vulnerable, older or disabled people, known as “supported housing”. Further information can be found on gov.uk here.