Written questions by Hollinrake.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the value is of the (a) RDEL and (b) CDEL settlement for the Electoral Commission in each year of the Spending Review 2025; and what plans the Commission has to delivery efficiency savings.

The Electoral Commission’s five-year Corporate Plan was approved by Parliament in February 2025. The plan outlines the benefits that the Commission’s work and spending will deliver for voters, electoral administrators and political parties and campaigners. The plan can be found on the Commission’s website.The Commission’s budget per financial year (Westminster funding) is as follows:Financial yearRDEL CDEL2025/26£44.2m£2.2m2026/27£47.5m£2.7m2027/28£48.0m£1.4m2028/29£68.5m£1.3m2029/30£68.1m£1.2mThe Commission also has funding arrangements with the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru for work related to devolved elections.The Commission is fully committed to delivering value for money. It has recently made significant efficiency savings, including by sharing office space with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. It has also achieved a 50% reduction in energy consumption at its London office, and a reduction in the cost of providing staff laptops.The Commission will continue work with the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission to ensure Parliament and voters have confidence in the Commission’s finances.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has issued guidance on (a) companies and (b) unincorporated associations raising funds from foreign donations overseas and assigning proceeds for political (i) donations and (ii) donations in kind to (A) political parties and (B) regulated donees.

The Commission’s guidance for political parties covers permissibility of donations from companies and unincorporated associations. If an organisation makes a donation on behalf of another source without disclosing the details of the original donor, this is likely to be an agency offence. The law places a responsibility on the recipient of a donation to ensure they are satisfied as to the identity of the donor, and that the donor is permissibleA company is a permissible donor if it is registered as a company at Companies House, is incorporated in the UK, and is carrying on business in the UK. An unincorporated association is permissible if it has more than one member, the main office is in the UK, and it is carrying on business or activities in the UK.The Commission has highlighted that it remains possible for money from foreign sources to enter the UK electoral system, including through companies and unincorporated associations. There are no requirements for unincorporated associations to check that gifts they receive are from permissible sources, or on how company donations are funded. It has called for changes to ensure the system protects against foreign interference.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has issued guidance on members’ associations set up as limited companies (a) registering with the Commission to make political contributions and (b) reporting political donations.

The Commission’s guidance for regulated donees sets out the reporting requirements for members associations.Members associations are any type of organisation, including a limited company, whose membership wholly or mainly consists of members of one political party. There is no requirement for members associations which are limited companies to register with the Commission. Members associations must report to us any donations over £11,180 they receive towards their political activities within their party.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 56829 on Speed Limits, whether her Department has plans to update 20mph zone guidance for England.

We believe that traffic authorities are best placed to decide where lower limits will be effective on the roads for which they are responsible, and that consultation and community support should be at the heart of the process.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 56565 on Political Parties: Crypocurrencies, if he will publish the guidance on non-standard donations.

The Commission’s published guidance on donation permissibility, includes information on cryptocurrencies.This guidance states that the controls which apply to donations of crypto assets are the same as the controls which apply to other types of donations. Donations must be from permissible sources and recipients must establish the value in pounds of donations at the time of receipt.The Commission is currently reviewing this guidance so it can offer parties specific advice on handling donations of crypto assets, considering ongoing developments in the regulation of these assets.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with local authorities on the use of fixed-penalty notices for households for minor waste receptacle issues.

In England, local authorities have limited powers to issue fixed penalties to households relating to waste receptacle requirements. Defra is not proposing changes to this position as part of Simpler Recycling reforms and has not conducted discussions with local authorities on the use of these powers.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 57278 on Water Charges, if he will make it his policy to prevent water companies from using (a) rising block tariffs and progressive and (b) seasonal water metering for households.

The Government welcomes companies’ willingness to trial innovative new approaches to charging customers in order to make bills more affordable and improve water efficiency, putting pounds back in the pockets of working families. Several water companies are trialling a range of progressive charging approaches. Ofwat as the regulator requires companies to ensure all trials are consistent with good practice principles. Through these trials the sector will learn how to best support households with their water bills.

Whether her Department has had discussions with Oxfordshire County Council on its planned introduction of traffic filters by Oxford in 2026.

The Department has not had discussions with Oxfordshire County Council on its planned introduction of traffic filters by Oxford in 2026. Local authorities are responsible for managing their roads and are accountable to their communities.

Whether the Government plans to establish an Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Deputy Prime Ministers are rightly supported in their role to deliver the additional responsibilities.The Deputy Prime Minister’s responsibilities are set out on Gov.uk and any such plans would be set out in the usual way.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether water companies are permitted to fund social tariffs by passing costs to other residential customers.

Social Tariffs are voluntary schemes designed and administered by water companies to provide a discounted water bill to qualifying customers who are unable to pay their water bill in full. These schemes are permitted to be funded through cross subsidies from customers under s44 Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 57460 on Policy, what her planned timetable is for the revision of the National Policy Statement on airport expansion.

The government supports airport expansion and has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow. It expects any proposals to be brought forward by the summer and is clear that any scheme must be delivered in line with the UK’s legal, climate and environmental obligations.Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow.The Secretary of State will determine the scope of a review of the ANPS and we cannot speculate on the scope nor the timings of the review at this stage.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 56482 on Civil Service: London allowances, if she will take steps to ensure that the London weighted salaries for civil servants only apply to employees that work in London.

MHCLG has separate National pay ranges and London pay ranges. The MHCLG London pay range is only applicable to colleagues formally assigned to 2 Marsham St and MHCLG’s Hemel Hempstead office.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, what assumptions have been made on the level of the (a) shire district, (b) police precept, (c) parish precept, (d) combined authority mayoral precept and (e) fire precept council tax referendum principles in each year of the Spending Review from 2026-27.

For the shire district and fire precept, the Spending Review assumes that precept levels increase in line with those in 2025/26 over the coming SR period (3%/£5, and £5 respectively). The SR assumes a fire precept level of £5. No assumptions were made in relation to mayoral combined authorities and parishes, as these have not historically been subject to referendum principles. The police council tax precept remains subject to final decision on precept levels which will be set out in the annual police funding settlement in the usual way. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 62597 on 2 July 2025.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Rough sleeping to be decriminalised after 200 years, published on 10 June 2025, how the approach to a replacement regime differs to that of the previous Government.

As we work to fulfil our manifesto commitment to get the country back on track to ending homelessness, one principle must be clear – no one should be criminalised for simply sleeping rough. We will be the government that repeals the Vagrancy Act 1824.This government does not wish to target or criminalise individuals who are begging to sustain themselves or who are sleeping rough because they have nowhere else to go. This is why this government is introducing new specific offences which deal with specific risks. These targeted replacement measures include a new offence of facilitating begging for gain, and an offence of trespassing with the intention of committing a crime, both of which were previously provided for under the 1824 Act.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 56711 on Council tax: valuation, how many complaints have been made to (a) Tier 1 complaints process, (b) Tier 2 complaints process and (c) the Adjudicator's Office in relation delays in council tax banding appeals by the Valuation Office Agency in the last 12 months.

Between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025, the VOA received the following number of complaints about delays: Tier 1 – 677Tier 2 - 103Adjudicator’s Office (Council Tax complaints)– 9 For context, on average the VOA deals with around 60,000 cases each year in England and Wales where customers wish to challenge their council tax band.

For what reason council tax is not included in the measure of consumer price inflation.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 1st July is attached.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 12 June 2025 on Local Government Best Value, HCWS697, which (a) external individuals, (b) external organisations, (c) hon. Members and (d) councillors requested escalating the statutory intervention to a Commissioner-led model before 12 June 2025.

On 12 June I announced that I was minded to exercise powers of direction under section 15(5) and 15(6) of the Local Government Act 1999 to ensure London Borough of Croydon’s compliance with the Best Value Duty. As I told the House, before making this announcement I carefully considered all relevant material including the Improvement and Assurance Panel’s latest report and the Local Government Association’s Corporate Peer Challenge. I sought representation from the London Borough of Croydon and any interested parties on my proposals by 25 June. I am now carefully considering all representations received before making my final decision.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54866 on Alcoholic Drinks, if she will remove the exclusion of the direct manufacture of alcoholic beverages from paragraph 2.12 of the UK Government Green Financing Framework.

The Green Financing Framework, published in 2021, explains how proceeds from green gilts and NS&I’s retail Green Savings Bonds will finance public expenditures that demonstrate a direct and positive environmental impact. The Framework includes guidelines on the types of expenditures that can be included in the Programme. Eligible expenditures are drawn from departments’ confirmed Spending Review settlements and assessed on the basis of their contribution to the government’s climate and environmental objectives. The Framework excludes financing of the direct manufacture of alcoholic beverages, alongside other named exclusions, in line with international convention and investor expectations for green bond frameworks. This approach enables the UK’s green gilts to be accessible to the greatest possible pool of investors, improving value-for-money.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 55222 on Film: Business Rates, how many film studios in England will be subject to the higher multiplier on Rateable Values above £500,000, from April 2026.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced an intention to introduce a higher business rates multiplier on the most valuable properties – those with Rateable Values (RVs) of £500,000 and above – from April 2026 to fund permanently lower multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with RVs below £500,000. The next revaluation will take effect from April 2026. The VOA are required to publish a draft of all properties’ new RVs this year, at which point it will be clear how many film studios will be in scope of the new higher multiplier. Eligible film studios in England benefit from 40 per cent business rates relief on their total liability. Business rates bills are calculated by applying the relevant multiplier first and so film studios will receive 40 per cent relief on their total liability.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has published guidance to local authorities on transferring internal council (a) personal data and (b) papers to political parties where such information is not already available in the public domain.

MHCLG has not published guidance of this nature. Local authorities must comply with the FOI Act in relation to access to information held by public bodies, with GDPR guidelines in relation to personal data, and with Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) statutory codes and guidance.