Written questions by Holmes.

Communities and Local Government, what Home England's financial commitment is to Vistry, including subsidiaries and joint ventures, in terms of (a) funding under the affordable homes programme, (b) loans and (c) equity investments.

Under the Affordable Homes Programme 2016-23, Homes England allocated Vistry over £24m to deliver 670 homes, with the last payment in 2023/24.Under the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26, Vistry have been allocated over £252m to deliver 3,578 homes.Homes England has made two loans to entities of which Vistry are part: The Sherford Consortium, which Vistory own 66.67% of, has a loan from Homes England of £32,000m. Stanton Cross Developments LLP, in which Vistry has a 50% share, has a loan from Homes England of £35,000m.In terms of equity investments, Homes England and Countryside Properties (part of Vistry Group) contracted the £150m Joint Venture PlacePoint LLP in September 2025. Homes England’s investment in that venture totalled £60m.

Communities and Local Government, whether partnerships are the Government's preferred model for housing delivery.

Partnership models, in which housebuilders work with Registered Providers and Build to Rent operators to deliver a range of housing tenures, are an essential part of our housing market. They help to create diverse communities and meet a variety of local needs, while also building out between 30%-60% faster on average than mono-tenure schemes.A number of housebuilders are already adopting a partnership approach, creating greater diversity in the housing market and making an important contribution to housing supply.The government has no single preferred model for housing delivery but given the benefits it provides we do support increased uptake of the partnership approach. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) now makes clear that Local Planning Authorities should set a tenure mix on sites of over 150 units and we are providing direct support for partnerships through Home Building Fund equity investment and our new National Housing Bank.

Communities and Local Government, if he will set out the liquidity tests undertaken by Homes England on strategic partners participating in the Affordable Homes Programme.

It is not the role of Homes England to undertake liquidity tests on strategic partners participating in the Affordable Homes Programme.The Regulator of Social Housing considers whether Registered Providers (RPs) of social housing are delivering the outcomes set out in the regulatory standards, which include viability as well as governance.As part of the strategic partner onboarding process, Homes England check with the Regulator of Social Housing the gradings of any given RP, including their viability to access capital funding.Non-registered providers, as part of the Investment Partner Qualification process, are required to provide financial information, which is assessed by Homes England’s Financial Due Diligence team. This is assessed on the pass or fail basis. Guidance on Investment Partner Qualification can be found on gov.uk here.Homes England also conduct Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions checks. The information they ask for in relation to this can be found on gov.uk here.As part of their Programme Management processes, Homes England monitor all homes delivered by Strategic Partners. Their compliance audit processes are set out in the Capital Funding Guide on gov.uk here.No checks are undertaken on the off-balance sheet liabilities. As a grant programme the Affordable Homes Programme does not carry hard credit risk exposure, such as debt provision, so a purposely high-level review is undertaken.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department and Homes England audit the number of homes delivered by strategic partners participating in the Affordable Homes Programme.

It is not the role of Homes England to undertake liquidity tests on strategic partners participating in the Affordable Homes Programme.The Regulator of Social Housing considers whether Registered Providers (RPs) of social housing are delivering the outcomes set out in the regulatory standards, which include viability as well as governance.As part of the strategic partner onboarding process, Homes England check with the Regulator of Social Housing the gradings of any given RP, including their viability to access capital funding.Non-registered providers, as part of the Investment Partner Qualification process, are required to provide financial information, which is assessed by Homes England’s Financial Due Diligence team. This is assessed on the pass or fail basis. Guidance on Investment Partner Qualification can be found on gov.uk here.Homes England also conduct Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions checks. The information they ask for in relation to this can be found on gov.uk here.As part of their Programme Management processes, Homes England monitor all homes delivered by Strategic Partners. Their compliance audit processes are set out in the Capital Funding Guide on gov.uk here.No checks are undertaken on the off-balance sheet liabilities. As a grant programme the Affordable Homes Programme does not carry hard credit risk exposure, such as debt provision, so a purposely high-level review is undertaken.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment Homes England has made of the level of off-balance sheet liabilities amongst strategic partners participating in the Affordable Homes Programme.

It is not the role of Homes England to undertake liquidity tests on strategic partners participating in the Affordable Homes Programme.The Regulator of Social Housing considers whether Registered Providers (RPs) of social housing are delivering the outcomes set out in the regulatory standards, which include viability as well as governance.As part of the strategic partner onboarding process, Homes England check with the Regulator of Social Housing the gradings of any given RP, including their viability to access capital funding.Non-registered providers, as part of the Investment Partner Qualification process, are required to provide financial information, which is assessed by Homes England’s Financial Due Diligence team. This is assessed on the pass or fail basis. Guidance on Investment Partner Qualification can be found on gov.uk here.Homes England also conduct Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions checks. The information they ask for in relation to this can be found on gov.uk here.As part of their Programme Management processes, Homes England monitor all homes delivered by Strategic Partners. Their compliance audit processes are set out in the Capital Funding Guide on gov.uk here.No checks are undertaken on the off-balance sheet liabilities. As a grant programme the Affordable Homes Programme does not carry hard credit risk exposure, such as debt provision, so a purposely high-level review is undertaken.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Representation of the People Bill Impact Assessment, February 2026, Table 8, what proportion of the donation value that would now be impermissible was made to (a) Reform Party, (b) Brexit Party and (c) the regulated donors from that party.

As set out in Representation of the People Bill Impact Assessment, Table 8, we estimate that around 26% - 29% of donations from companies made in the year prior to the 2024 General Election would not meet the permissibility criteria. All businesses, including small businesses, will need to meet strict new criteria in order to make political donations. Requiring donors to demonstrate a genuine UK connection is key in protecting against foreign actors from using shell companies to channel foreign or illlicit money into UK politics. Impacts have not been assessed at an individual party level. We are not restricting donations to specific parties; the measures apply equally to recipients of political donations. This ensures that donees adhere to the same standards, thereby safeguarding all UK political parties from foreign interference. The vast majority of businesses do not make political donations and therefore will not be affected by these rule changes.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Representation of the People Bill, what his Department’s definition is of a British citizen usually resident in the United Kingdom; and what (a) immigration and (b) domiciled status this requires.

The British Nationality Act 1981 sets out who is a British citizen and how British citizenship may be obtained. Section 5 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 lays down general principles of residence for electoral purposes, which a registration officer must follow when deciding whether a person is resident at a particular address. The Electoral Commission’s guidance sets out clearly that each decision about residence should be made by the registration officer on a case-by-case basis.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a scheme to assist political parties with the implementation costs of the Representation of the People Bill.

The Government has no plans to introduce a scheme to support political parties with the implementation costs of the Representation of the People Bill.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to obtain Legislative Consent from devolved Administrations in Wales and Scotland for the Representation of the People Bill.

As is usual, the government has written to counterparts in the devolved governments asking for their consent to the Bill where this interacts with devolved competence. The Secretary of State confirmed this at Second Reading of the Bill.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Representation of the People Bill Impact Assessment, February 2026, Table 8, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that bill on levels of permissible donations.

As set out in Representation of the People Bill Impact Assessment, Table 8, we estimate that around 26% - 29% of donations from companies made in the year prior to the 2024 General Election would not meet the permissibility criteria. All businesses, including small businesses, will need to meet strict new criteria in order to make political donations. Requiring donors to demonstrate a genuine UK connection is key in protecting against foreign actors from using shell companies to channel foreign or illlicit money into UK politics. Impacts have not been assessed at an individual party level. We are not restricting donations to specific parties; the measures apply equally to recipients of political donations. This ensures that donees adhere to the same standards, thereby safeguarding all UK political parties from foreign interference. The vast majority of businesses do not make political donations and therefore will not be affected by these rule changes.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Representation of the People Bill, whether an election offence of intimidating council staff can apply after the close of poll, including to election counts.

Provisions in the Representation of the People Bill will empower courts to give tougher sentences to those who abuse candidates, campaigners, elected representatives and electoral staff by introducing a new statutory aggravating factor. The Bill will also extend the disqualification order regime, so that intimidatory offences against electoral staff can now lead to the application of a disqualification order. As drafted, a relevant offence committed after the close of poll would lead to the application of the aggravating factor and a disqualification order, as long as the offender can be shown to have been motivated by hostility towards electoral staff.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Representation of the People Bill, at what point political parties and elected representatives will have access to the date of birth of an attainer elector.

Under the provisions set out in the Representation of the People Bill as they stand, no political parties or elected representatives will have access to the date of birth of attainers (those aged 14 and 15) under any circumstances.The Government takes the safeguarding of young people and their data seriously, with strict controls set out in legislation on who can access information from the electoral register and for what purpose. The approach set out in the Representation of the People Bill balances the need for proportionate safeguards within our electoral system, without disadvantaging young voters from being able to participate in it.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Representation of the People Bill Impact Assessment, February 2026, para 386, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of corporate donation reforms on small businesses wishing to make donations.

As set out in Representation of the People Bill Impact Assessment, Table 8, we estimate that around 26% - 29% of donations from companies made in the year prior to the 2024 General Election would not meet the permissibility criteria. All businesses, including small businesses, will need to meet strict new criteria in order to make political donations. Requiring donors to demonstrate a genuine UK connection is key in protecting against foreign actors from using shell companies to channel foreign or illlicit money into UK politics. Impacts have not been assessed at an individual party level. We are not restricting donations to specific parties; the measures apply equally to recipients of political donations. This ensures that donees adhere to the same standards, thereby safeguarding all UK political parties from foreign interference. The vast majority of businesses do not make political donations and therefore will not be affected by these rule changes.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the policy paper entitled Improving voter registration, published on 2 March 2026, if he will make it his policy to place markers on the electoral roll where (a) UK nationals and (b) foreign citizens have been automatically added.

The Government has no plan to make it its policy to place markers on the electoral register to differentiate between UK nationals and foreign citizens.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has been made of the potential impact of adopting an opt-in approach to the open electoral register on the level of revenues to local authorities accrued from the sale of open electoral register data to third parties.

The primary purpose of the electoral register is to enable those who are eligible to vote, to register and ensure only people who are eligible to vote are permitted to do so. HMG has not made assessment of the impact on the level of revenue to LAs accrued from the sale of the open register. However, the Impact Assessment published alongside the Representation of the People Bill, did consider the potential impact on its commercial value.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his press release of 16 December 2025 entitled Urgent review into foreign financial interference in UK politics, what is the evidential basis that political donations can currently be made to shell companies.

Currently, the legal test for permissible donations from companies is that they are registered under the Companies Act 2006, incorporated in the UK, and carrying on business in the UK. This last requirement is vague and easy to satisfy, even without having a genuine and strong connection to the UK. It means a newly created shell company with no trading history can legally donate. This is an unacceptably low threshold and a vulnerability in our system highlighted by many independent experts, including the Electoral Commission, the Committee on Standards in Public Life and the National Crime Agency. That is why we have introduced reforms which will require companies (and limited liability partnerships) making donations to demonstrate a genuine and substantive connection to the UK or Ireland, preventing the use of shell companies to channel foreign or illicit money into UK politics. We are introducing new, stringent eligibility criteria for companies and limited liability partnerships wishing to make political donations. Companies/LLPs will have had to make sufficient revenue to cover their donation; be headquartered in the UK; and be majority owned or controlled by UK electors or UK citizens usually resident in the UK. These changes are to ensure that political donations reflect genuine UK-based interests and help prevent foreign interference in our democracy.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his polices of trends in the number of registered postal votes in the last six months.

Information relating to postal vote applications is held by independent Electoral Registration Officers rather than the UK Government and so it is not possible to provide more information about the number of postal vote applications that were not renewed during any period. The department does not actively track trends in the level of postal vote renewals, or the number and proportion of postal vote applications that were renewed, over any period.The Government will continue to work with the Electoral Commission and with local authorities to support independent Electoral Registration Officers with postal vote application activities.

Communities and Local Government, whether the full report by Philip Rycroft into foreign financial interference in UK politics will be laid before the House when it is completed.

In December, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced an independent review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics. The review findings will be delivered to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Security Minister by the end of March 2026. The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government will ensure Mr Rycroft’s report is made available to Parliament at the earliest opportunity after it is received.

Communities and Local Government, whether automatic electoral registration, following the proposed reduction in the voting age, will be used to add attainer voters under 16 to the electoral roll.

Should some form of automated registration be introduced using the powers set out in the Representation of the People Bill, this does not apply to attainers (those aged 14 or 15). The duty on Electoral Registration Officers would only apply where they become aware of a person who is of voting age (i.e. someone aged 16 or older). 14- and 15-year-olds will be able to submit their own applications to be attainers.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for Braintree during the Oral Statement of 23 February 2026 on Local Government Reorganisation, Official Report, column 80, whether his (a) officials or (b) special advisers had oral discussions with local authorities that submitted requests to postpone their local elections in May 2026.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 118044 on 10 March 2026.