Written questions by Hollinrake.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 18957 on Devolution: East of England, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to devolve decision-making powers to (a) parents in relation to local education policy and (b) local taxpayers in relation to the delivery of public services.

We committed in the English Devolution White Paper to look at the case for strengthening communities with greater rights to be involved in their local issues and there will be further announcements relating to communities later this year. It is for local leaders to decide to decide how best to engage with residents in their delivery of services.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 January 2025 to Question 19702 on Housing: Construction, if the 1.5 million target will be backloaded in this Parliament.

As set out in our Plan for Change, lead times in planning, infrastructure and construction mean we are already constrained by the impact of decisions taken by the previous government, but we expect the number of new homes to start rising significantly in the third year of the Parliament once our reforms take effect.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department’s policy paper entitled Development and Nature Recovery, published on 15 December 2024, whether Delivery Plans will be part of Local Plans.

Delivery Plans as proposed in the Development and Nature Planning Reform Working Paper would be prepared for protected habitats or species and would not necessarily be at the scale of local plans.Proposals for a Nature Restoration Fund are under development for inclusion in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Further information will be set out when the Bill is introduced.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 18952 on Local Government Pension Scheme, what assessment she has made of the potential risk (a) to investment returns from the proposed changes to the nature and types of investments and (b) of political interference in investment decisions.

The Government remains committed to fiduciary duty remaining with local pension funds, who are responsible for ensuring that assets are invested in the best interests of employers and scheme members. Fiduciary duty is key to limiting political interference in investment decisions. Under the Government’s proposals Local Government Pension Scheme administering authorities will retain the responsibility for setting an investment strategy for their fund, including high-level objectives on the required levels of risk and return, which is the key driver of investment returns.The Government published analysis in the Pension fund investment and the UK economy research paper, which illustrated that greater scale is able to generate greater economies and efficiencies, and to reduce investment risks.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 16 December 2024 on English Devolution, HCWS316, whether local authorities will be able to impose selective licensing requirements on all private rented properties.

On 23 December 2024, a new General Approval for selective licensing came into force. This enables local authorities to introduce selective licensing schemes of any size without seeking approval from the Secretary of State. Under the previous 2015 General Approval, approval was required for schemes covering more than 20% of a local authority’s Private Rented Sector stock or geographical area.No changes have been made to the legislative requirements for introducing and managing a selective licensing scheme. Local authorities will still need to meet the requirements under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004 and comply with the condition in the General Approval to consult for at least 10 weeks on any new schemes.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 4.2.2 of the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, what formula her Department will use to distribute funding to strategic authorities.

Paragraph 4.2.2 relates to the recovery grant and wider plans to reform funding to local authorities, not Strategic Authorities.Strategic Authorities receive their funding from a variety of sources and different government departments, reflecting their different responsibilities. Allocation methodologies for these funds vary depending on the aims of the funding.To enable greater flexibility and local control, the most mature Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MCAs) are eligible to receive much of their devolved funding through a single Integrated Settlement. The integrated settlements represent a change to the process in which funding from central government is allocated to MCAs, rather than a change to the quantum that the MCAs receive.The formulae are applied to relevant departmental budgets to provide Authorities with a share of funds in scope and seek to deliver the principle that MCAs are not worse off than had the Integrated Settlements not been in place.

If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the decision by the United Arab Emirates to impose sanctions on (a) Cambridge Education and Training Center Ltd, (b) IMA6INE Ltd, (c) Wembley Tree Ltd, (d) Waslaforall, (e) Future Graduates Ltd, (f) Yas for Investment and Real Estate, (g) Holdco UK Properties Limited and (h) Nafel Capital.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to UIN 23462 on the 16th January 2025.

Communities and Local Government, how much funding each council will receive from the Rural Services Delivery Grant in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 20652 on 27 December 2024 and the answer to Question UIN 22380 on 15 January 2025.We have published the latest Core Spending Power figures which includes a breakdown of Rural Services Delivery Grant funding for individual councils here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/core-spending-power-table-provisional-local-government-finance-settlement-2025-to-2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraphs 17 and 60 of the policy paper entitled Planning Reform Working Paper: Development and Nature Recovery, published on 15 December 2024, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of those policies on great crested newts.

At this stage, the Government has not yet finalised its assessment of how it can further support local authorities to tackle litter. Any new announcements will be announced in the usual way.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23337 on Local Government: Debts, what discussions she has had with local authorities on the allocation of council debt following local government reorganisation.

It is the responsibility of councils to manage their budgets, and it is standard for councils to borrow and to hold debt, which they will do in the normal course of business. Local government re-organisation does not change this.Previous Secretaries of State used statutory powers to intervene in a small number of councils failing their Best Value Duty partly associated with high levels of unsustainable debt.We will work with local leaders to explore how best to support local government reorganisation where there has been failure. We will continue to work with Best Value Commissioners in these councils to support the councils’ financial recovery.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 22044 on Council of the Nations and Regions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of inviting (a) councillors and (b) council mayors to the Council of Nations and Regions.

As set out in its Terms of Reference, the Council of the Nations and Regions is a central, driving forum that brings together governments and authorities with devolved responsibilities to determine actions for tackling some of the biggest and most cross-cutting challenges the country faces. On 16 July 2024, the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all areas in England that do not have a devolution agreement to invite them to come forward with a proposal. New mayors established through this process will be eligible to attend the Council of Nations and Regions.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the policy paper entitled Local Government Finance Report 2025 to 2026: draft, published on 18 December 2024, how much and what proportion of additional funding will be provided to deprived councils.

The final Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25.This included introducing a new ‘Recovery Grant’, worth £600 million, which will go to places where, weighted by population, deprivation outweighs council tax raising ability.As a result of this and other measures, the most relatively deprived areas of England (the upper decile of the Index of Multiple Deprivation) will receive 23% more per dwelling in available resource through the 2025-26 settlement than the least deprived areas.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to retain office-to-residential permitted development rights.

The office to residential permitted development right (Class O) was subsumed into the commercial, business and service uses to residential permitted development right (Class MA) in August 2022.Using the most recently available published data, in each quarter between October 2022 and September 2024 there were 248, 297, 296, 290, 352, 297, 410 and 476 prior approval applications under the new right.The government continue to keep permitted development rights under review.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 January 2025 to Question 20640 on Housing: Ownership, what estimate she has made of the number of new build replacements in (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27.

As set out in the answer given to Question UIN 17553 on 11 December 2024, our modelling suggests a long-run average of c. 1,700 sales annually under new maximum discounts. As a result, we believe local authorities will now be in a stronger position to replace the homes that are sold.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in response to the question from Hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner during the Urgent Question on Community Engagement Principles and Extremism Definition of 21 January 2025, Official Report, Column 967, what the Government’s policy is on engaging with (a) people who and (b) organisations which publicly condone criminal activity.

The government does not knowingly engage with any individual or group that condones criminal activity.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department’s policy paper entitled Planning Reform Working Paper: Development and Nature Recovery, published on 15 December 2024, and pursuant to the Answer of 3 January 2025 to Question 20226 on Environmental Impact Assessment, whether she plans to introduce the new regime through (a) secondary legislation under the Levelling up and Regeneration Act 2023 and (b) primary legislation.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 gave the government powers to bring forward Environmental Outcomes Reports.The detail of the new system will be set out in secondary legislation through regulations as well as in guidance.Until a new system is implemented current legislation on environmental assessment and its supporting guidance continues to apply.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the end of fixed term tenancies on student accommodation in the private rented sector.

We want all tenants renting privately, including students, to benefit from the increased security and flexibility the Renters’ Rights Bill will provide.Students will benefit from the removal of fixed term tenancies. Fixed terms mean that renters are obliged to pay rent regardless of whether a property is up to standard, and they reduce renters’ flexibility to move when they need to. The government is clear that there is no place for fixed terms in the future assured tenancy system.To facilitate the yearly cycle of short-term student tenancies, the Bill introduces a new ground for possession which will allow landlords renting to full-time students in Houses of Multiple Occupation to seek possession ahead of each new academic year.The department has engaged with a range of stakeholders in the student accommodation market and will continue to do so.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 January 2025 to Question 19964 on Land Registry: Buildings, how many members of Land Registry staff attended the office in person on average each day in November 2024.

3209

Communities and Local Government, how many office-to-residential prior approval planning applications there have been in each quarter of the last 24 months.

The office to residential permitted development right (Class O) was subsumed into the commercial, business and service uses to residential permitted development right (Class MA) in August 2022.Using the most recently available published data, in each quarter between October 2022 and September 2024 there were 248, 297, 296, 290, 352, 297, 410 and 476 prior approval applications under the new right.The government continue to keep permitted development rights under review.

What proportion of households have resident adults with no English language proficiency.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 27th January is now available in the House Library.