Written questions by Holmes.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has received representations from local authorities on increasing the council tax referendum threshold for councils with Section 114 notices; and what her policy is on this issue.

The Government is currently analysing results of the consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement for 2025-26 including the council tax referendum principles that will be set. The ability for councils in exceptional financial circumstances to request council tax increases is not new. As with previous years the government will consider requests for bespoke referendum principles from councils seeking exceptional financial support, but this government will put taxpayers at the forefront of their consideration.The government will consider requests on a case-by-case basis and expects that any additional increases would only be agreed in exceptional circumstances. The government has been clear it will look carefully at councils’ specific circumstances, for example their existing levels of council tax relative to the average and the strength of plans to protect vulnerable people. As with previous years, referendum principles for all councils will be set out at the final Local Government Finance Settlement in February.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 18954 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Public Appointments, for what reason her Department was without Non-Executive Board Members since 7 July 2024.

Following the decision to appoint new non-executive board members to the Departmental Board, Mo Baines was appointed as Interim Lead Non-Executive Director in October 2024. An open competition for Non-Executive Directors is also underway to bring the Board to full complement and these appointments will be announced in due course. We have full confidence in our ongoing governance arrangements.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 6 January 2025, HCWS353, on Community Ownership Fund Round 4, how much funding has been distributed under each of the individual rounds of the Community Ownership Fund.

In Round 1, over £10 million was awarded to 37 projects. In Round 2, around £22.8m was awarded to 95 projects. In Round 3, around £65.7m was awarded to 190 projects. In Round 4, around £36.2m was awarded to 85 projects.A full breakdown of funding is available on the Community Ownership Fund successful bidders page on GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 99 of the Devolution White Paper (CP 1218), published on 16 December 2024, whether her Department plans to issue statutory guidance on the appropriate use of (a) byelaws and (b) fixed penalty notices; whether there will be a maximum threshold for fixed penalty notices; and whether there will be a right of appeal.

The government will work with councils to determine how byelaws should be made and enforced, and what guidance is required, as set out in the English Devolution White Paper.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department’s policy paper entitled Planning Reform Working Paper: Development and Nature Recovery, published on 15 December 2024, whether Biodiversity Net Gain expenditure can be scored against mitigation measures.

The proposals set out in the Development and Nature Recovery Planning Reform Working Paper would not be expected to have a direct impact on the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). They would, however, complement the implementation of BNG in securing better outcomes for nature. BNG incentivises nature positive choices on development sites, with a developing private marketplace for off-site biodiversity units which the government continues to support. Our proposals for a Nature Recovery Fund would apply specifically to protected habitats and species. As we continue to develop this new model, we will consider any opportunities which it may offer to support the ongoing implementation of BNG.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to promote the English language other than through (a) schemes for people from Ukraine and Hong Kong and (b) English for Speakers of Other Languages training.

Local authorities signpost new arrivals to English language provision as needed. Government also signposts to English language provision and resources for new arrivals in published guidance. For Afghan arrivals, the Home Office provides local authorities with £850 for English language provision for adults requiring this support. In addition to specific English language schemes, Government also provides tariff funding to local authorities to support Ukrainian and Afghan arrivals to integrate into their local communities, which includes supporting them to access English language training where needed. This includes integration tariff funding of up to £20,520 per person, over three years, for each Afghan household they move into settled accommodation in their area. For Ukrainian arrivals, local authorities continue to receive a tariff of £5,900 per Homes for Ukraine arrival in their area to support guests to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 January 2025 to Question 20827 on Religious Freedom, what steps the Government is taking to protect freedom of speech in relation to the expression of lawful statements which may be critical of organised religion.

This is a tolerant multi-faith country in which all faiths contribute towards creating a richer society. There are no blasphemy laws in this country and there are no plans to introduce blasphemy laws. This Government will always recognise British citizens’ unchanging right to freedom of speech and expression.

Communities and Local Government, Pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2025 to Question 21478 on Local Government: Correspondence and with reference to the letter of 16 December 2024 to local authority leaders from the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, how the (a) number of councillors and (b) electoral wards will be decided for new unitary local authorities; and what plans she has to consult the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

My department is working closely with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England to ensure that they are involved at the appropriate time to ensure fair electoral arrangements across the area of any new unitary local authorities.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2024 to Question 16542 on Councillors: Data Protection, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of using a Legislative Reform Order to remove the requirement for councillors home addresses to be published.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 16542 on 5 December 2024. We consider removal of the requirement for councillors’ home addresses to be published is best achieved by primary legislation and intend to legislate at the first available opportunity.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, what her timetable is for the (a) publication and (b) passage of the English Devolution Bill; and whether she plans to consult on the provisions of the Bill before it is published.

In the English Devolution White Paper, we committed to introducing the English Devolution Bill in this session, subject to parliamentary time. There is extensive engagement ongoing between my department, mayoral combined authorities, local authorities and other stakeholders on how we can best implement the policy set out in the White Paper. The Bill will deliver on the vision of the White Paper and will be published upon introduction to Parliament.

Communities and Local Government, what the (a) cash and (b) real terms change in total government grant in (i) monetary and (ii) percentage terms is for each local authority in England from 2025-26 to 2026-27.

Taken together, the additional funding announced by the Chancellor at the Autumn Budget and the 2025-26 provisional Local Government Finance Settlement will provide over £5 billion of new funding for local services over and above local council tax.Provisional individual local authority allocations can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/core-spending-power-table-provisional-local-government-finance-settlement-2025-to-2026.

Communities and Local Government, Pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2025 to Question 21478 on Local Government: Correspondence, and with reference to the letter of 16 December 2024 to local council leaders from the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, what her policy is on requests for Principal Area Boundary Reviews by local authorities related to such changes.

My letter of 16 December 2024 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-reorganisation-letter-to-two-tier-areas) set out Government’s plans for a joint programme of devolution and local government reorganisation. In this letter I set out my intention to formally invite unitary proposals in January 2025 from all councils in two-tier areas, and small neighbouring unitary councils. In this invitation, I will set out further detail on the criteria I will consider when taking decisions on the proposals for reorganisation, and any requests for boundary reviews related to such changes, that are submitted to Government. I intend to ask for interim plans by March 2025 and full proposals later in the year.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2025 to Question 21478 on Local Government: Correspondence and with reference to the letter of 16 December 2024 to council leaders from the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, for what reason local elections in May 2025 may be delayed before the conclusions of the statutory consultation on specific unitary proposals.

As set out in in my letter of 16 December, I have heard from some areas that the timing of elections affects their planning for devolution, particularly alongside reorganisation, and to help manage these demands, I will consider requests made by 10 January to delay elections. I also set out that these requests would only be considered where it is clear that postponement will help the area to deliver both reorganisation and devolution to the most ambitious timeframe. This is a high bar to reach and it is not expected that all councils who have applied to be on the priority programme will go forward as a result.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2024 to Question 18565 on Recruitment: Location, how many and what proportion of civil servants in her Department are on location-neutral employment terms.

None. Almost all members of staff are on a contract which specifies a particular office in which they are based. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 January 2025 to question 21618 which provided the number of staff assigned to work in each of our offices as at 31 December 2024. As at 31 December 2024, 31 members of staff were contractually based at their home; equivalent to less than 1% of the total number of staff in the department.

Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the full internal Equality Impact Assessment for changes to Right to Buy discounts.

The government published a review of Right to Buy discounts on 30 October 2024. It can be found on gov.uk here. The review concluded that maximum cash discounts should be reduced to pre-2012 levels of between £16,000 and £38,000 to enable councils to replace properties previously sold under the Right to Buy, whilst ensuring that tenants who have lived in, and paid rent on their social homes for many years, retain the opportunity to own their home. The government has not published the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) assessment that was prepared to support the decision.

Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the responses to the consultation entitled Changes to various permitted development rights, which closed on on 9 April 2024.

The government is reviewing feedback from the consultation on changes to various permitted development rights and will publish a response in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to commence section 113 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023.

The government set out in its response to the NPPF consultation in December 2024 that we will take the steps necessary to implement build out reporting. This will involve implementing the provisions in section 113 of the Levelling–up and Regeneration Act 2023 through regulations, following technical consultation. These provisions will provide local planning authorities with the power to decline future planning applications made by developers who fail to build out at a reasonable rate earlier planning permissions.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2025, to Question 20980, on MHCLG: Photography; whether the photographer was recruited (a) via open and fair competition and (b) on a full-time contract; and what the pay grade of the photographer is.

The role was recruited via fair and open competition. The occupant is on a fixed term loan from another government department, at the pay grade of Grade 7 FTE.

Communities and Local Government, how many times the Communities and Recovery Steering Group has met; on what dates; in which locations; and whether minutes are taken.

The Communities and Recovery Steering Group meets regularly and, as is standard practice, minutes are taken.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2025 to Question 20982 on Civil Servants: Recruitment, what the (a) job title, (b) unit or division and (c) grade is of each Civil Service job not advertised externally; and for what reason her Department is not advertising all jobs externally.

Further to Answer of 10 January 2025 to Question 20982, see table below detailing (a) job title, (b) unit and (c) grade of jobs not advertised externally for the period 4th July to 31st December 2024. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is moving towards an external by default approach to recruitment. In the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles 2018 there are exemptions to this approach for roles which require a niche skills set or experience which can only be found in the Civil Service. In addition, there are exemptions for short term/temporary roles for projects or areas with tight timescales, whereby current Civil Servants can join the department quickly on loan or fixed term agreements with the correct clearances. Departmental groupGrade breakdownJob titleGradeCorporate Group3x Grade 6 5x Grade 7 6x SEOCareers and Development LeadGrade 7Physical Security LeadSEOWorkforce TeamGrade 6StatisticianGrade 7Ministerial Team Security AdvisersSEOHead of Programme DeliveryGrade 6Deputy Head of ProfessionGrade 7Product ManagerSEOAssistant Departmental Records OfficerSEOSenior Product ManagerGrade 7Private Secretary & Business ManagerSEOLive Services ManagerSEOSubject Matter ExpertGrade 7Local Government and Public Services1x HEOCommunications OfficerHEOLocal Growth, Communities and Devolution6x Grade 6 5x Grade 7 5x SEO 3x HEODelivery ManagerSEOHead of UnitGrade 6Head of UnitGrade 6Policy LeadGrade 7Head of PolicyGrade 7Business Support OfficerHEOHead of OfficeGrade 7Programme ManagerGrade 6Programme Management Office ManagerGrade 7Senior Policy AdvisorSEORisk and Issue ManagerSEOStrategy Policy AdvisorHEOPolicy leadGrade 6Fund EvaluatorSEOHead of Elections DataGrade 6Policy & Funding AnalysisGrade 6Policy AdvisorSEOSenior Strategy AdvisorGrade 7Policy AdvisorHEORegeneration, Housing and Planning4x Grade 6 7x Grade 7 4x SEO 1x HEOPolicy Team LeadGrade 7Head of StrategyGrade 6Senior Policy AdvisorGrade 7Senior Policy and Strategy AdvisorsGrade 7Head of Housing Insights & Strategic PolicyGrade 6Social Housing Directorate SEOsSEOProperty Technology Strategy AdvisorGrade 7Policy AdvisorSEOPolicy OfficerHEOPolicy AdvisorSEOSenior Policy AdvisorGrade 7Private SecretaryGrade 7Head of Programme Management OfficeGrade 6Project ManagerSEOHead of Evaluation & InsightGrade 7Head of Economic AnalysisGrade 6Senior Policy AdviserSEOSafer and Greener Buildings1x Grade 6 3x SEO 1x HEOConstruction Products Policy AdviserSEOCommunity Relationship ManagerSEOPolicy AdvisorHEOPolicy and Briefing AdvisorSEOLead Technical ArchitectGrade 6Strategy and Communications1x Grade 6 1x Grade 7 1x HEOHead of Data ScienceGrade 6VideographerHEOSenior Private Secretary/Head of OfficeGrade 7