Written questions by Hollinrake.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's transparency data, MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, if she will publish the specification of the research commissioned from Frontier Economics Ltd.

The research commissioned from Frontier Economics Ltd. referenced in MHCLG’s transparency data published on 28 April 2025 refers to two separate contracts: the Towns Fund Evaluation and the UKSPF Intervention Evaluation. A feasibility study for these evaluations, which set out the requirements for the work commissioned, has been published and can be accessed here:Gov.uk Towns Fund: evaluation feasibility reportUK Shared Prosperity Fund: intervention-level evaluation feasibility report

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, April 2025, published on 30 May 2025, what the services commissioned from Allied Publicity Services Manchester were.

These data lines were published in error. The relevant publication has now been updated

Communities and Local Government, what the target number of civil servants in her Department is in each year of the Spending Review 2025.

We are aiming to reduce the number of Civil Servants working in this department by at least 10% over the course of the Spending Review period. This in line with the government’s wider Civil Service reform plan and commitment to reducing administration costs of the civil service by 15% by 2030. We are implementing an ambitious efficiency plan to support this objective, focused primarily on reducing back-office costs and building a leaner, more efficient, and highly skilled workforce. This will enable us to deliver the government’s priorities while maintaining the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Civil Servants in frontline roles will continue to be aligned with the funding and priority programmes that underpin these activities.

With reference to the publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, if she will publish the full specification of the research commissioned from Thomas Coram Foundation.

The Thomas Coram Foundation research contract was commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of the Supporting Families programme in 2023. When the programme moved to the Department for Education (DfE) as part of a machinery of government change in 2024 the management of, and funding for, the research contract moved to DfE. The contract continues to be held in MHCLG for commercial reasons.The research contract aims to test whether systemic practice is an effective way to work with families to achieve positive outcomes. It is a randomised control trial working with 12 local authorities. The contract ends in March 2026.Further information is available in the Supporting Families annual report, which was published on 9 June 2025 and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-families-programme-annual-report-2024-to-2025.As per research protocol, DfE will publish relevant documents and findings associated with the contract at appropriate points in the research.

Communities and Local Government, who will cover the duties of the Minister for Housing and Planning whilst he is on jury service.

Duties will be shared amongst the MHCLG Ministerial team when required. As with all departmental business, the Secretary of State maintains overall responsibility for the work of the department

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 May 2025 to Question 53071 on Youth Mobility Scheme: EU Countries, whether he plans to make further bilateral agreements.

We have existing bilateral agreements with Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Poland and Luxembourg, which were negotiated by the previous government. The UK is open to further, fully reciprocal bilateral voting agreements but these would be subject to the detail of future negotiations.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, what the goods or services were commissioned from Oxford Economics Ltd entitled Cambridge Economic Forecasting.

The department commissioned Oxford Economics to model economic growth in Greater Cambridge.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will place in the Library a copy of the consultation document on making the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse statutory guidance.

A copy of the consultation document on publishing statutory litter enforcement guidance will be deposited in the Library. This consultation was run in March 2024 under the previous Government. This Government has yet to make a decision on whether to publish statutory guidance. Any decision will be announced in the usual way. Following this, we would expect to release a consultation response.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Written Statement of 3 June 2025, HCWS680, on Consulting on a reformed approach to investing in flood resilience and coastal erosion, how much of the £2.65 million in funding was originally allocated by the previous Government.

Delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change, this Government is investing a record £2.65 billion over 2024/25 and 2025/26 for the construction of new flood schemes, and the maintenance and repair of existing ones. With this funding, 1,000 flood schemes have been or will continue to be supported, better protecting 52,000 properties by March 2026. This Government has also announced the largest flood programme in history – committing a record £7.9 billion capital investment as part of its landmark 10-year Infrastructure Strategy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's planned timetable is for responding to the consultation on making the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse statutory, which closed in April 2024.

A copy of the consultation document on publishing statutory litter enforcement guidance will be deposited in the Library. This consultation was run in March 2024 under the previous Government. This Government has yet to make a decision on whether to publish statutory guidance. Any decision will be announced in the usual way. Following this, we would expect to release a consultation response.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support neighbourhood planning; and whether there is a target on neighbourhood plan take-up.

The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests. The government has no target for neighbourhood plan take-up.

Communities and Local Government, how many active sites being developed by private housebuilders the Minister of State for Housing and Planning has visited since 6 July 2024.

I have visited seven active development sites in a ministerial capacity since 6 July 2024 as per the table below. I have also visited a number of active development sites in my own constituency during that same period

What steps the Valuation Office Agency is taking to tackle delays in processing council tax valuation challenges.

The VOA is working as quickly as possible to clear cases, and moving staff to where there is the greatest customer demand. The VOA is focusing on the oldest cases first, and where customers are facing financial hardship. The VOA is replacing IT systems with modern cloud-based platforms that will deliver significant efficiencies. It is also upskilling its workforce to ensure there is flexibility in managing a wide range of cases and improving its digital services to make it easier for customers to self-serve.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, what the goods or services commissioned from 23 Red Limited entitled (a) consultancy and (b) campaign creative production were.

The Department commissioned 23 Red Limited through approved government procurement frameworks to help deliver two key campaigns addressing housing needs in our communities. The 'consultancy' expenditure covered essential strategic and creative elements of our Make Things Right campaign. This campaign supports social housing tenants to effectively engage with the complaints process when experiencing issues with their accommodation, helping to drive improvements in housing standards. The 'campaign creative production' expenditure funded essential strategic and creative elements of our StreetLink campaign. This initiative raises awareness of the StreetLink service and improves public understanding of how to provide effective referrals for people sleeping rough, ultimately helping to connect vulnerable individuals with appropriate support services.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question 54292 on Financial Services: Environment Protection, what information he holds on which councils offer municipal green bonds.

The Government does not hold information on which councils offer municipal green bonds centrally. It is the responsibility of the local authority to advertise and communicate bond offers at the time of their launch.

Whether her Department has had recent discussions with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on council tax (a) revaluation and (b) re-banding.

The Government engages regularly and constructively with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on a range of economic issues. Property tax reform has not been discussed with the OECD since the current Government took office in July 2024, but it was discussed under the previous Government.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2025 to Question 53914 on Islam, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of Islamist sectarianism in England since 4 July 2024.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 53914 on 5 June 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether district councils with borough status that are abolished will be able to maintain their borough status through Charter Trustees under her local government restructuring plans.

The Government will ensure that the ceremonial rights and privileges of an area will be maintained after any reorganisation of local government and will work with local leaders to ensure that areas retain these, following the submission of proposals from local councils, and a decision on which proposal, if any, to implement.Where specific provision is needed in legislation to maintain ceremonial privileges, such as the establishment of Charter Trustees, then this will be considered, as necessary, reflecting the circumstances in each area, as has previously been done for other areas undergoing local government reorganisation.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2025 to Question 54880 on Council tax: billing, whether local billing authorities are able to require the individual residents of a dwelling to declare whether the property is their (a) primary and (b) secondary residence.

The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 requires billing authorities to take reasonable steps to determine whether any discounts or premiums are applicable. This includes a power to require information to be provided about the persons liable for the bill on a dwelling. It is for each authority to decide when to use these powers.

Communities and Local Government, how much will be allocated to London from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in each year of the Spending Review period; and what the outturn allocation was in each year since the creation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will not continue beyond the 2025-26 transition year. As announced at the recent Spending Review, the government is introducing a new, targeted approach to support growth, tackle deprivation, and restore pride to communities.UKSPF allocations for local authorities are published on gov.uk here. An annual breakdown of 2022-25 allocations are also published on gov.uk here.The Greater London Authority spent its entire UKSPF allocation of £144,444,970 for the 2022-25 period, and has been allocated £62,981,782 for 2025-26.