Written questions by Hollinrake.

Communities and Local Government, whether trade unions were consulted on her Department plans to close its offices in (a) Birmingham, (b) Exeter, (c) Truro, (d) Sheffield, (e) Warrington and (f) Newcastle; and whether she has received any notifications of industrial action on the matter.

The department is consulting Trade Unions and staff on the decision to close six offices over the next two years. The department has not received any notification of industrial action on this matter.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answers of 16 October 2024 to Questions 6111 and 6401 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Civil Servants, of 17 October 2024 to Question 6147 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Civil Servants, of 18 October 2024 to Question 6124 on Department for Education: Civil Servants, and of 14 October 2024 to Question 6116 on Department for Transport: Civil Servants, if she will publish the job titles of each of the appointments made under exception 1.

MHCLG made 47 appointments by exception to fair, open and merit-based recruitment principles from 1 July to 31 September 2024. 40 of those appointments were made under Exception 1 to the recruitment principles on a temporary basis. We are unable to provide a more detailed breakdown without individuals potentially being identifiable.The Department publishes a senior and junior organogram biannually setting out job titles and salaries – Organogram of Staff Roles & Salaries - data.gov.uk

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 November 2024 to Question 10991, on Civil Service: Zero Hours Contracts, how many departmental (a) staff and (b) contractors are on zero hour contracts.

There are no departmental or contractor staff employed by MHCLG on zero hour contracts.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2024, to Question 12952, on Devolution: Suffolk, whether combined county authorities should contain (a) one county council or (b) more than one county council.

This government believes that the benefits of devolution are best achieved through the establishment of combined authorities or combined county authorities over sensible economic geographies and supported by a mayor. Both of these institutions require more than one upper-tier local authority as constituent members.

If she will take steps to freeze the small business rate relief multiplier while adjusting for the revaluation in 2026-27.

The business rate multipliers to apply from April 2026 will be set at Autumn Budget 2025. Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) provides 100% rate relief for eligible properties with rateable values below £12,000 with tapered relief available for eligible properties with rateable values between £12,000 and £15,000. Further details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-business-rate-relief/small-business-rate-relief

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2024 to Question 13412 on Local Government Finance, whether she plans to reduce funding for councils not in areas of high deprivation.

The Autumn Budget announced over £4 billion in additional funding for local government services, £1.3 billion of which will go through the Settlement.We will guarantee that no local authority sees a reduction in their Core Spending Power in 2025-26 after taking account of any increase in council tax levels by applying a funding floor. This will provide the protections required for authorities to sustain their services between years, whilst recognising that we must begin the process of redirecting as much funding as possible towards the services and places that need it most.

Whether the increased revenue to the public purse generated by the increase in business rates for private schools from 2025-26 onwards will be (a) kept in full by local government, (b) shared between central and local government through business rate retention or (c) retained by central government.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government reconfirmed that it is removing private schools’ eligibility for charitable rate relief under business rates in England from April 2025. This intervention will raise around £140 million per year. Business rates retention means that local authorities retain a proportion of all business rates revenue. As set out in published policy costings for Autumn Budget 2024, the increase in rates receipts due to the reduction in charitable rate relief for private schools will be shared between central and local government.

Communities and Local Government, on how many occasions she has visited the QEII Centre since the general election; and if she will visit the GB News studio in the centre.

The Deputy Prime Minister has not visited the GB News Centre in the QEII Centre. As with all media interviews, availability and logistics for interview location are subject to busy ministerial diaries. Other MHCLG Ministers have been interviewed at the GB News studios in QEII where timing and logistics have allowed.

Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the average ranking for local authorities in (a) urban, (b) suburban and (c) rural areas on the Index of Multiple Deprivation in the latest year for which data is available.

The deprivation rank and score for all local authorities in England are published at: English indices of deprivation 2019 - GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, whether the planned merger of Local Government Pension Scheme funds will require legislation; and on what (a) geography or (b) criteria the new merged funds will be based.

The Government is currently consulting on proposals relating to asset pooling in the Local Government Pensions Scheme (LGPS) England and Wales. The consultation text can be found at the following link: Local Government Pension Scheme (England and Wales): Fit for the future - GOV.UK. The proposals would require LGPS asset pools to meet minimum standards, and all LGPS assets to be managed by LGPS asset pools.The Government is not proposing to require mergers of LGPS funds. The Government notes that a number of LGPS funds have successfully merged on a voluntary basis and encourages administering authorities to consider whether there would be benefit in merging with another fund.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to issue guidance on issuing of litter fines to householders.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 25 November 2024 to the hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, Question 14343.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Modern leasehold: restricting ground rent for existing leases, updated on 8 December 2023, when she plans to respond to that consultation.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Report on the 2024 UK Parliamentary general election and the May 2024 elections, published by the Electoral Commission in November 2024. what plans she has to increase participation by overseas electors in future general elections.

The Government is currently considering the recommendations of the Commission and will be providing a full response to both the Commission’s Report on Voter Identification, and its Full Report on the General election, in the coming months.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations on electoral (a) law and (b) administration in the Report on the 2024 UK Parliamentary general election and the May 2024 elections, published by the Electoral Commission in November 2024.

The Government is currently considering the recommendations of the Commission and will be providing a full response to both the Commission’s Report on Voter Identification, and its Full Report on the General election, in the coming months.

Communities and Local Government, what formula her Department plans to use to determine (a) which local authorities will receive funding from the Recovery Grant and (b) the amount of such funding allocated to each local authority.

The Recovery Grant, worth £600 million, will be distributed using a formula that is based on deprivation and council tax base, using the most recently available public data. The grant will go to places where, weighted by population, deprivation outweighs council tax raising ability. The grant is intended to be highly targeted, meaning that not all authorities will receive an allocation.We will set out more detail on the formula and consult on allocations at the provisional Settlement in December.

Communities and Local Government, how many local authority officers are seconded to her Department.

Fewer than or equal to five staff are currently engaged by this department in a secondment capacity from a local authority.

Communities and Local Government, if she will publish guidance for local authorities on four day working weeks and annualised hours.

The government recognises that local authorities are independent employers who are responsible for decisions such as these around the management of their workforces, however, it is not government policy to support a four-day working week in local authorities.Local authorities are encouraged to consult their workforce and trade unions before considering changes to their local working arrangements.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Enabling remote attendance and proxy voting at local authority meetings, published on 24 October 2024, what assessment she has made of the (a) effectiveness of in-person debate and (b) potential impact of in-person debate on decision making.

The attendance of elected members at local authority meetings is a core part of the democratic process at the local level, and is integral to members carrying out their functions effectively. At the same time, the Government recognises that there are circumstances in which it may not always be possible for members to attend meetings in person. We will consider all responses to the consultation before deciding on a course of action.

Communities and Local Government, how many affordable homes were (a) started and (b) completed in England between 2010-11 and 2023-24.

The number of affordable housing starts and completions is available in live table 1000 here Live tables on affordable housing supply - GOV.UK.The number of completions is available since 1991-92. The department started publishing the number of starts in 2015-16. However, starts not reported via Homes England or the Greater London Authority only started being collected in 2016-17 and are collected on a voluntary basis. This means 2015-16 data does not include these data and subsequent years may still be under reporting it.

Communities and Local Government, what proportion of Local Plans have been withdrawn by local authorities in 2024 following advice from the Planning Inspectorate; and what assessment she has made of the financial cost incurred on those local authorities to commence a second Regulation 19 hearing in accordance with the Town & Country (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

As of the end of November 2024, 2 (4.4%) of the 45 plans that have been examined by the Planning Inspectorate this year have been withdrawn following advice from the Planning Inspectorate. A third plan was recommended for withdrawal but the authority declined asking instead for a final report which found the plan unsound thus ending the examination.An assessment of the financial costs of withdrawal has not been made, the cost to a local authority bringing forward a new plan after withdrawal will depend on their individual circumstances.Local Plans must be fit for purpose as the primary basis for identifying what development is needed in an area. It is the responsibility of local authorities to prepare and submit a plan that is capable of being found sound at examination.