Every parliamentary written question tabled by Paul Holmes this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 121–140 of 322 · this parliament
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.
Communities and Local Government, whether (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers have had discussions with representatives of (1) political parties and (2) political groups of the LGA on the provision of guidance to local authorities on requests to delay May 2026 local elections.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 118044 on 10 March 2026.
Communities and Local Government, what is the timetable for a Government response to the working group on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim hatred.
On 9 March 2026, government adopted a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility. The definition was published on gov.uk.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made by (a) his Department and (b) the Defending Democracy Taskforce of sectarianism in election campaigning.
Harassment and intimidation of voters, electoral staff and campaigners, both online and in person, is totally unacceptable, whatever the driving cause, and has a profoundly detrimental impact on our democratic process. The Government has welcomed and responded to the report made by the Speakers Conference, which explored the broad factors influencing incidents of harassment and intimidation against candidates and MPs Before an election takes place, an ‘Election Cell’ is set up by the Joint Election Security and Preparedness Unit (JESP). This brings together government departments, the police, the intelligence agencies, the Devolved Governments, and external partners to monitor and respond to any emerging issues across physical, cyber and information security. MHCLG's Community Cohesion Unit is also a core part of JESP’s Election Cell; the Community Cohesion Unit works closely during election campaigns with local partners, including the police to monitor and address issues related to cohesion. Government is also working closely with the Electoral Commission to develop an updated Code of Conduct for campaigning to set clear expectations for behaviour during election campaigns.
Communities and Local Government, whether he has considered moving mayoral combined authority elections that were delayed from May 2026 to May 2028, to May 2027; and what representations he has received on this matter.
The government intends to hold inaugural mayoral elections for the four Devolution Priority Programme places that are also undertaking local government reorganisation in May 2028, so that areas can complete the reorganisation process before Mayors take office. Devolution is strongest when it is built on firm foundations, and this extra time will allow these four areas to establish robust institutions ahead of their Mayors taking office in 2028. With the consent of the constituent councils, the government will establish the institutions as soon as possible and provide each area with a proportion of their investment funds to ensure they can start delivering on key local priorities and deliver the benefits of devolution on the ground.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to answer of 11 September 2025, to Question 74719, on Electoral Register, whether user research has now been commissioned or tendered.
The government is actively exploring a range of approaches to improve the completeness and accuracy of the register. User research is undertaken throughout the policy and digital service development process.
Whether digital ID will be provided to 16 and 17 year olds.
The Government has now launched a public consultation on the digital ID where we want to hear as wide a range of views as possible. The scope of the digital ID system is still in development and we are inviting the public to have their say in the consultation as we develop a useful, inclusive and trusted system. Through this consultation we are asking the public what age they think is appropriate to have digital ID.
Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to prevent automatic electoral registration from adding European Union citizens to (a) the UK Parliamentary electoral roll and (b) the local electoral roll where they do not qualify because of their immigration status.
The government is committed to upholding the integrity of electoral registers. We are exploring a wide range of more automated approaches to enable improvements in both the completeness and accuracy of electoral registers, including making greater use of public sector data and digital services. Any new approaches to registration will be tested for their efficacy in improving the completeness and accuracy of the registers.
Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to hold a consultation to amend electoral law to ban imprinted (a) candidate and (b) political party electoral communications being published in foreign languages during the short campaign election period.
The government has no plans to regulate or consult on the use of foreign languages in campaign material.
Communities and Local Government, whether the Representation of the People Bill will allow candidates and agents to use PO Box addresses.
Through the Representation of the People Bill we are removing the requirement for candidates who are acting as their own election agent to have their home address published on the notice of election agents, ensuring that those who partake in our democracy are safe and secure in their homes.Election agents (including candidates acting as their own agents) will still need to have an office address where legal papers could be served, therefore this cannot be a PO box. Furthermore candidates must provide their current home address on their nomination form, which therefore also cannot be a PO box. Candidates can already however request for their home address not to be published.
Communities and Local Government, whether local election pilots in May 2026 will take place in any of the localities which had their May 2026 local elections postponed and then reinstated.
In August 2025, local authorities were invited to apply to pilot a range of flexible voting methods at the May 2026 elections in England, with a deadline of 22 September 2025. In December 2025, council leaders in local government reorganisation areas were invited to make representations on the potential postponement of local elections and whether this would release essential capacity to deliver local government reorganisation, with a deadline of 15 January 2026. Three local authorities that had submitted applications to pilot flexible voting methods for the May 2026 elections subsequently requested that their May 2026 polls be postponed. These authorities were Tamworth Borough Council, Stevenage Borough Council, and Redditch Borough Council. These three authorities are not taking part in the pilot scheme in May 2026.
What discussion he has had with the Secretary of State for Science and Technology on the potential impact of a respiratory Modern Service Framework on the UK’s life sciences ecosystem.
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore innovation and policy prioritisation in respiratory health, including the cross‑Government alignment that may be required.
What assessment his Department has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in Hamble Valley constituency; and what steps he is taking to ensure respiratory health is prioritised nationally, including through the introduction of a Modern Service Framework for respiratory care.
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.Data is available for emergency Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’ for Hamble Valley and England, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally for 2025/26:Westminster Parliamentary Constituency of Residence2024/25 (August 2024 to March 2025)2025/26 (April 2025 to November 2025)Hamble Valley910775England608,449423,588Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority and integrated care board level. Information for Hampshire can be found at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory#page/1/gid/1/pat/15/ati/502/are/E10000014/iid/40701/age/163/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1
What his Department’s timeline is for deciding on the second wave of Modern Service Frameworks; and whether respiratory conditions will be considered.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for North East Hertfordshire on 20 February 2026 to Question 112322.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of a respiratory Modern Service Framework on reducing winter pressures on the NHS by simultaneously improving outcomes for long-term respiratory conditions and short-term respiratory illnesses such as flu.
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to winter pressures.
What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the time taken to respond to casework queries from Members of Parliament.
The Department recognises that the recent increase in the volume of MP enquiries, alongside a rise in the complexity of cases requiring more detailed investigation, has contributed to delays in meeting our standard response timescales.To address this, the Department has taken a number of steps to improve the timeliness and efficiency of responses to MP enquiries:Additional resource has been deployed to our complaints and correspondence teams, with ongoing monitoring of the impact on response times.The Universal Credit MP hotline service has been streamlined through the introduction of a single national contact number, improving accessibility and consistency.Guidance on the W4MP website has been updated to ensure MP offices have clear visibility of the appropriate contact numbers for each benefit product line.Recruitment is underway for additional Universal Credit complaint handlers to support efforts to reduce the volume of outstanding enquiries and improve response times.
Communities and Local Government, if he will list each planning application that has been called in since 4 July 2024, including (a) planning reference number, (b) local authority, (c) the proposed development, and the result of each decision to date.
Since 4 July 2024, the Secretary of State has called in the following planning applications: Cases called in 04/07/24 to 14/01/26LocationLPALPA RefCall in DateDevelopment DescriptionOutcomeNorthfleet Harbourside, land surrounding Ebbsfleet Football Club, Northfleet, KentGravesham Borough Council2022106407/02/25Mixed-use redevelopment including new homes, commercial space and supporting infrastructure.Inquiry closed Nov 25 – Inspector’s Report awaitedHeath Business & Technical Park & land north of Heath Rd, Runcorn, CheshireHalton Borough Council22/00569/OUT19/09/25Mixed-use scheme including up to 545 homes and supporting community and employment facilities.With MHCLG – target date for decision 13 Mar 2026Land south of Frome SomersetSomerset Council2021/1675/EOUT03/02/25Up to 1,700 homes with a local centre, employment land, greenspace and associated infrastructure.Inquiry closed Sept 25 – Inspector's report awaitedLand south of Sittingbourne, KentSwale Borough Council21/503914/EIOUT07/11/24Major mixed‑use development including up to 7,150 homes, employment space, schools, community facilities and major highways works.Inquiry closed Oct 25 – Inspector's report awaitedBeehive Centre, Coldhams Lane, CambridgeCambridge City Council23/03204/OUT11/02/25Redevelopment of the site to provide a new local centre, employment floorspace, open space and associated infrastructurePlanning permission Granted 9 Dec 25Royal Mint Court, LondonLondon Borough Tower HamletsPA/24/01229/A114/10/24Redevelopment of the site to provide a new embassy, including works to listed buildings, public realm improvements and associated infrastructure. .Decision issued on 20 Jan 26
Communities and Local Government, for what reason the National Development Management Policies are non-statutory.
The reasons for not preceding with statutory National Development Management Policies are set out in the government’s consultation on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation is available on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2025 to Question 83467 on Councillors: Disclosure and Barring Service, whether he intends to consult on checks for other elected representatives.
As stated previously, I am considering options on criminal record checks for local government members. The government is not currently considering criminal record check policy for other elected representatives.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 February 2025 to Question 30628, on Local Government: Codes of Practice, and further to the consultation response entitled Strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England – consultation results and government response, published on 11 November 2025, if he will make it his policy to ensure that the new mandatory code of conduct has a free speech clause modelled on the Bromley code of conduct.
The government response to the local government standards framework consultation published on 11 November 2025 confirmed our intention to legislate to prescribe a mandatory code of conduct. We are continuing to engage with the sector as we develop final detailed policies for implementation.