Written questions by Hollinrake.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 31951 on Local Government Boundary Commission for England, whether the Local Government Boundary Commission for England has told the Speaker's Committee that it requires resources for formal structural reviews of local authority (i) wards and (ii) boundaries.

The Speaker's Committee plans to hold a public evidence session with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) on 19 March 2025 to consider its draft supply estimate for 2025/26. This session will be made available on Parliament Live.Following the meeting, the Speaker's Committee is expected to publish the explanatory memorandum produced by the Commission explaining the content of its Estimate and justifying proposed funding requests. The Committee is also expected to consider the Commission's new five year corporate plan which outlines the LGBCE's objectives and expenditure plans over the next five years.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, for what reason the Electoral Commission briefing entitled Parliamentary briefing: Political finance rules, sent to hon. Members on 4 March 2025, states that unincorporated associations are not required to check that those who donate to them are permissible.

The Political Parties, Election and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) sets out the permissibility rules for political donations.Unincorporated associations who donate to political parties are required to be permissable donors. However, those who give money to an unincorporated association are not required to be. Unincorporated associations are therefore not required to check that those who donate to them are permissable.The Commission has recommended a change to the law to require unincorporated associations to ensure that any political donations come from permissable donors. This would strengthen the political finance system and provide transparency for voters.

If he will make an estimate of the number of adults resident in the UK unable to (a) read and (b) write in English.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 12th March is attached.

How many and what proportion of hereditaments in England with a Rateable Value above £500,000 are internet retail warehouses.

The Valuation Office Agency published official statistics detailing the number of non-domestic properties in England with a rateable value over £500,000, broken down by sector, sub-sector, special category and region here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-domestic-rating-property-counts-and-rateable-value-rv-for-properties-in-england-with-rv-over-500000. There is no special category code for ‘internet retail warehouses’. You may find the data for ‘retail warehouses and food stores’, and ‘large distribution warehouses’ helpful.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to section 94 of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, whether the Electoral Commission has been granted enhanced powers to access Companies House information.

Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, Companies House has powers to share information with individuals and public authorities, including the Electoral Commission, as long as the disclosure aligns with the functions of the receiving public authority and is not in breach of data protection legislation.The Commission has not received information using these powers since the law received Royal Assent in 2023.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission issues fines to political parties that narrowly miss a reporting deadline.

The Electoral Commission takes enforcement action, including using investigatory powers and sanctions, where it is satisfied that it is necessary and proportionate to do so. Where it is satisfied it can resolve a matter without enforcement action, it will do so. It issues fines for missed reporting deadlines where it is not satisfied it can achieve its regulatory aims though other means.

Pursuant of the Answer of 20 December 2024 to Question 19700 on Airports: Business Rates, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) the rates revaluation in April 2026 and (b) the surcharge for hereditaments above £500,000 Rateable Value from April 2026 on (i) economic growth, (ii) international competitiveness and (iii) airfares.

The Government recognises that in the post-COVID world, expected valuations for airports at the 2026 revaluation amount to significant increases. The aviation sector is in conversation with the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) about their 2026 draft rateable values.The Government is legally required to introduce transitional relief for ratepayers to support those seeing the biggest increases at revaluations. Once we understand the complete 2026 revaluation picture will the Government be in a position to make final decisions, at Autumn Budget 2025, on the transitional relief scheme.On the new multiplier rates, the Government will confirm these at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context. Tax policy and legislation is not subject to the Better Regulation Framework Guidance which requires an Impact Assessment to accompany policy decisions.  Nevertheless, when the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025 – to take effect in the 2026-27 billing year – HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

What the (a) terms of reference are and (b) timetable is of his Department’s resilience review.

As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster set out in his statement to the House on Friday 19 July, this government is committed to undertaking a comprehensive review of long-term resilience. The resilience review is considering established practices and policies to improve UK resilience against the full spectrum of risks we face. It is evidence based and is identifying what should be kept, changed or improved to ensure we are best prepared now and into the future. It is considering recommendations from recent inquiries including the Covid-19 Module 1 report and the Grenfell Tower tragedy to ensure the needs of communities and individuals – in particular vulnerable people – are better addressed. The review will conclude later this year.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a cap on Mayoral Combined Authorities precepts for 2025-26.

The government has not set referendum principles for Mayoral Combined Authorities for 2025-26. The government held a consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement, providing opportunity for the public and local authorities to share views on the proposed referendum principles. The government keeps referendum principles under review, and decisions are made at the local government finance settlement, with the next due in 2026.

Whether the Warm Homes Plan will (a) rationalise the number of home energy efficiency funding schemes and (b) streamline application processes for those schemes.

The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future. As a first step the Government launched the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund. The WH:LG is a successor scheme replacing the HUG and LAD schemes simplifying the current landscape. We will continue to evaluate the application processes as schemes are developed. Further details will be set out in the Warm Homes Plan in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether (a) long-term vacant and (b) derelict homes returned to use count towards local housing targets.

I refer the hon. Member to the government response to the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation (Question 15) which can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, when she plans to answer Question 26478 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Employers' Contributions, tabled on 27 January 2025.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 26478 on 17 March 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to ensure that Integrated Care Systems operate on areas that co-terminate with Mayoral Combined Authorities.

As set out in the English Devolution White Paper, the government recognises the benefits that aligned geographical boundaries can have for improving coordination between public services. The English Devolution White Paper therefore set out government's long-term ambition to align public service boundaries, including job centres, police, probation, fire, health services and Strategic and Local Authorities.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 31952 on Elections: Expenditure, what guidance the Commission has provided on (a) what (i) petrol, (ii) staffing, (iii) coach hire and (iv) other costs of a battlebus should be assigned to local candidate spend and (b) whether this includes travel outside a constituency to the constituency.

The Commission has published guidance for parties and candidates on how to distinguish between party and candidate spending, and how to report such spending. The classification of spend on a battlebus visit will depend on whether the spending promotes the party or the candidate.The Commission’s guidance includes a number of examples of campaign events and how these would be reported.The Commission has published guidance for candidates on transport costs. Reportable transport costs include the costs of transporting volunteers, party members or other campaigners around the electoral area, or to and from the electoral area, where they are undertaking campaigning on behalf of the candidate. This includes the costs of transport hire and fuel.The Commission has also published guidance for candidates on staff costs. Costs for staff directly employed by the party do not count towards party spending limits. However, if staff are provided to a candidate for their campaign, staff costs would need to be reported by the candidate as notional spending.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 February 2025 to Question 30645 on Business Rates, if she will make an estimate of the number of hereditaments subject to the £500,000 multiplier if the threshold is not uprated in 2026.

The Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27. This tax cut must be sustainably funded, and so the Government intends to apply a higher rate from 2026-27 on the most valuable properties - those with a rateable value (RV) of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties, but cover the majority of large distribution warehouses, including those used by online giants. On 21 February, the Valuation Office Agency published an ad hoc release detailing total property counts and RV for properties in England with a RV over £500,000. This is broken down by sector, sub-sector, special category and region. This is available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-domestic-rating-property-counts-and-rateable-value-rv-for-properties-in-england-with-rv-over-500000.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2025 to Question 32146 on Public Houses: Business Rates and Employers’ Contributions, for what reason the median rateable value is used.

The Transforming Business Rates consultation used the median RV of a pub (£16,800) to illustrate the amount the average pub is estimated to save in business rates liabilities (over £3,300) from RHL relief being extended at 40% for 2025-26 rather than being removed entirely. The median RV was used as it is less affected by the presence of a few large pubs than the mean RV. Therefore, the median is likely to be closer to the actual RV of a greater number of pubs than the mean would be.

Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 31952 on Elections: Expenditure, what guidance the Commission has provided on (a) whether a battlebus must be declared as a local candidate expense if the candidate participates in campaigning with the battlebus and (b) the definitions of (i) directing, (ii) encouraging and (iii) authorising the spending.

The Commission has published guidance for parties and candidates on how to distinguish between party and candidate spending, and how to report such spending. The classification of spend on a battlebus visit will depend on whether the spending promotes the party or the candidate.Activity promoting the candidate must be reported on the candidate return if it is authorised by the candidate or qualifies as notional spending. There is a £700 limit on unauthorised spending to promote the candidate, which would be reported on the party return. The Commission’s guidance includes a number of examples of campaign events and how these would be reported.The Commission has also published guidance on the tests for notional spending, including how to identify when an item has been made use of by the candidate or someone on their behalf. Someone can only make use of an item on behalf of the candidate if that use has been directed, authorised, or encouraged by the candidate or their agent.The Commission has not published a specific definition of “directed, authorised, or encouraged”; these terms are interpreted according to their commonplace use.

How many dwellings there were in England in April (a) 2010 and (b) 2024; how many of those dwellings had (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four and (e) five or more bedrooms; and how many of those dwellings had a garden.

Please see the response to UIN 32144. The Valuation Office Agency does not usually record whether a domestic property has a garden.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 25703 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Consultants, what changes she has made to the neighbourhood planning contract.

The current neighbourhood planning support contract was last changed in May 2024.The government launched the procurement for the neighbourhood planning support contract on 1 October 2024 and we will announce the outcome of that exercise in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 February 2025 to Question 30146 on Business Rates, what estimate she has made of the change in overall cost of the retail, hospitality and leisure relief scheme without a cash cap.

Without any Government intervention, retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) relief would have ended entirely in April 2025, creating a cliff-edge for businesses. Instead, the Government has decided to offer a 40 per cent discount to RHL properties up to a cash cap of £110,0000 per business in 2025-26. To deliver our manifesto pledge, from 2026-27, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000. Whereas RHL relief currently limits support to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, the Government intends to have no such limit on the new multipliers in order to better ensure more widespread support for the high street. The Government will confirm the rates for the new multipliers at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context. Tax policy and legislation is not subject to the Better Regulation Framework Guidance which requires an Impact Assessment to accompany policy decisions. Nevertheless, when the new, permanently lower tax rates are set at Budget 2025, the Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.