Every parliamentary written question tabled by Kevin Hollinrake this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1,901–1,920 of 2,854 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 25703 on MHCLG: consultants, what the monetary value is of the target to reduce spending by 50%.
This information will be published in due course as part of MHCLG’s annual report and accounts for financial year 2024-25.
Representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if he will ask the Electoral Commission to publish (a) invoices and (b) receipts relating to its spending by the Labour Party on its battlebus during the 2024 general election campaign.
The use of a battlebus by the Labour Party was reported in its return submitted to the Electoral Commission in January.The Commission will publish the spending returns for parties and campaigners that spent over £250,000 at the 2024 general election in the coming months.As part of this, it will publish invoices and receipts for any payment over £200, which parties have to submit with the details of their spending.This is an important part of the Commission’s work to provide voters with transparency over the money spent and received at the election.
What guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on whether a road in a new build development should be adopted by a local authority.
Any decision on whether or not to adopt roads of this sort is a matter for the local highway authority. The Department has published guidance on gov.uk on Highways Adoption: The Adoption of Roads into the Public Highway, which was last updated in August 2022. It sets out the process by which new and existing roads can be adopted by highway authorities so that they become maintainable at public expense.
Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to make changes to the cost of (a) Lawful Development Certificate and (b) householder planning consent application in relation to making changes to the windows of an existing dwelling.
The fee for the enlargement, improvement or other alteration of a dwellinghouse will increase to £528 from 1 April 2025. The fee for lawful development certificates will vary depending on the type of development involved.
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) reduce the level and (b) increase the transparency of service charges on (i) private estates and (ii) new build developments.
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).
If she will take steps to increase the transparency of the work of the Defending Democracy Taskforce.
The Defending Democracy Taskforce continues to drive forward a programme of work to address the full range of threats to our democracy.I will, as Chair of the Taskforce, update Parliament in due course particularly on the work of the Taskforce to tackle harassment and intimidation.I am also due to give oral evidence to the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy later this month.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question 22777 on HM Land Registry: Buildings, and with reference to the Public and Commercial Services Union press release entitled Land Registry Action Short of a Strike begins, dated 22 January 2025, what the status is of the industrial action at HM Land Registry as of March 2025; what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that industrial action on office attendance requirements at HM Land Registry; and what steps she is taking to help resolve that dispute.
The action short of a strike (as per the Public and Commercial Services Union press release of 22 January 2025) is continuing as are talks with PCS to conclude the dispute.The industrial action in question does not alter the expectation that HM Land Registry staff comply with the government’s 60% office attendance requirement.HM Land Registry has been monitoring office attendance of staff during the action short of a strike, and there has been no discernible impact.MHCLG is in regular contact with HM Land Registry management and supports their attempts to resolve the dispute.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2025 to Question 30226 on Children’s Play: Business Rates, whether children’s soft play centres are entitled to retail, hospitality and leisure business rate relief; and what Special Category Code the Valuation Office Agency uses to categorise such hereditaments.
The administration of business rates, including billing, enforcement and decisions on the award of relief, including for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief Scheme is the responsibility of local councils. They do so having regard to the guidance published by the government.The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is responsible for valuation matters. Soft play centres occupy a range of different types of building from retail premises to warehouse units and leisure centres. There is no specific VOA special category code that covers all soft play centres, they are attributed a special category code dependant on the type of premises in which they are located.
Communities and Local Government, for what reasons she appointed Dominic Grieve as the Chair of the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia working group.
The Anti-Muslim Hate/Islamophobia Definition Working Group has been established to provide government with a non-statutory definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, supporting a wider stream of work to tackle the unacceptable incidents of anti-Muslim hatred. The Rt Hon Dominic Grieve KC has a strong legal background and experience of working with Muslim communities. This technical expertise will be invaluable to meeting the group’s objective to advise His Majesty’s Government on the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims.
Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the level of duplication of regulation on fire matters in (a) building regulation and (b) planning consent processes.
Fire safety regulations in building regulation and planning permission processes serve distinct purposes and are not duplicated. Planning addresses fire safety in relation to land-use planning matters, such site layout, and access for emergency services. Building regulations focus on detailed technical standards for construction, including fire resistance of materials, means of escape, and fire detection systems. These regulations are tested at different gateways, each serving distinct purposes to ensure comprehensive fire safety measures are in place. Together, these elements contribute to a robust fire safety regime that delivers safe buildings and protects occupants.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 30659 on Conditions of Employment: Departmental Responsibilities, how many headcount staff in her Department are assigned to work on matters relating to (a) employment law, (b) industrial and trade union relations and (c) the Future of Work Cabinet Committee.
Strengthening employment rights is a key priority across Government. The Deputy Prime Minister is supported in her role as the Chair of the Future of Work Cabinet Committee, alongside the delivery of other cross-cutting priorities on Make Work Pay, by a Deputy Director and five FTE policy advisors.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 30144 on Chinese Embassy: Planning Inspectorate, if she will (a) list the representations that were received after the deadline, but which have been accepted by the Inspector and (b) state how many representations were submitted late but not accepted.
The representations which were received after the deadline that were accepted by the Inspector can be viewed in the inquiry library here.The number of representations submitted after the deadline and not accepted by the Inspector stands at 33 as of 12 March 2025.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to para 129 of the UK Government Response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report, CP1248, published in February 2025, whether the extension of the Freedom of Information Act to Tenant Management Organisations (a) is limited to matters relating to social housing and (b) covers all information held by the organisation; and what her planned timetable is for secondary legislation on the issue.
The government is committed to increasing transparency in the social rented sector, including by enabling residents of Tenant Management Organisations (TMOs) to request access to information about the management of their homes in the same way as other social tenants.We will work closely with TMOs, local authorities and residents of homes managed by TMOs to consider how best to implement the requirements. Our priority will be to ensure tenants can access as much information as possible on their housing services. We will set out next steps in due course.
Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Public and Commercial Services Union on industrial action in her Department; and whether a formal notice of industrial action has been issued.
The Public and Commercial Services Union has declared a Trade Dispute with the Department and is balloting members on industrial action. Discussions with Trade Union representatives on a range of issues continue to take place.
Communities and Local Government, what the latest timetable is for the Grenfell memorial.
The government is fully committed to supporting the independent Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission in the creation of a fitting and lasting memorial, determined by the community, to honour those who lost their lives, and those whose lives were forever changed, by the tragedy. In July 2024, the Commission, supported by the government and the Royal Institute for British Architects (RIBA), launched the process to select a team to work with the community to design a future memorial on the Grenfell Tower site. Five teams were shortlisted in January and asked to further develop their design approach. The chosen design team will work with bereaved families, survivors and local residents, throughout 2026 to develop a detailed design for the memorial, with the community closely involved through-out.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2025 to Question 31044 on Planning: Reform, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of listing the names of the organisational respondents to a consultation in its summary of consultation responses.
The Department does not routinely publish a list of organisations responding to public consultations. Many organisations choose to publish their responses on their websites.
With reference to para 144 of the UK Government Response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report, CP1248, published in February 2025, what his planned timetable is for the publicly accessible record, and whether it will be hosted on gov.uk.
As confirmed in the government’s response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s recommendation 25, the government will establish a record on GOV.UK of all recommendations made by public inquiries since 2024, and will consider making this an enduring legal requirement. We will update parliament about this in due course.
Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support open data across-council look up database for (a) councillor contact details and (b) polling station addresses.
The Electoral Commission provide a comprehensive tool to support electors in finding their local polling station address at https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/your-election-information. Electors enter their postcode, and the tool shows them where their nearest polling station is. Polling station details are also included on poll cards sent to every elector ahead of relevant electoral events. The Department does not currently provide open data across-council look up database for councillor contact details. A tool on gov.uk exists to find your local council https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council.
Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to expand existing unitary authorities.
The English Devolution White Paper announced a programme of local government reorganisation for two-tier areas, and set out that Government will also facilitate reorganisation for those unitary councils where there is evidence of failure or where their size or boundaries are impacting on their responsibilities. Some of these councils are included in the invitations to develop proposals for reorganisation that were sent to all councils in two-tier areas and neighbouring small unitaries on the 5th February. Following submission, we will consider any and all proposals carefully before taking decisions on how to proceed. We will evaluate each case on its own merits against the criteria set out in the letter which includes that proposals should be for a “sensible geography”. The Government is open to discussions with all areas where structural change will help them get onto a more sustainable footing.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2025 to Question 24223 on Freedom of Expression, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of introducing a definition of Islamophobia on legal rights to freedom of expression relating to blasphemy.
The Government has established a new working group to provide government with a definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, advising government and other bodies on how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims. The group’s proposed definition must be compatible with the unchanging right of British citizens to exercise freedom of speech and expression. The Government has been clear that there is no blasphemy law in England, and we will not introduce one.