Written questions by Holden.

Communities and Local Government, what his planned timetable is for the full private parking regulation regime to be (a) in place, (b) implemented and (c) in force.

This government is committed to raising standards across the private parking sector and protecting motorists. On the 11th July, the government launched a consultation outlining its proposals for a new Private Parking Code of Practice. The consultation closed on the 26th September, and we are currently analysing all responses. The government will publish a response to this consultation and confirm its final proposals for the code and its enforcement framework in due course.

Communities and Local Government, how much (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s length bodies have spent on (i) installing electric vehicle charging facilities and (ii) purchasing electric vehicles since 4 July 2024; and what estimate their Department has made of the difference in capital cost between (A) the electric vehicles purchased by their Department and (B) comparable (1) petrol and (2) diesel models.

The Department has not purchased any electric vehicles since 4 July 2024. The Department has also not incurred any expenditure on the installation of electric vehicle charging facilities since 4 July 2024. We do not hold information of this nature in relation to our arm’s length bodies.

Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on compliance with ecological mitigation and enhancement conditions attached to planning permissions; and if he will publish post-occupancy monitoring data on the implementation of (a) bird boxes, (b) hedgehog highways, (c) tree planting and (d) other biodiversity features.

Monitoring and ensuring compliance with ecological conditions attached to planning permissions are matters for local planning authorities who already have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, to use as they consider appropriate. For a summary of the steps the government is taking to support capacity and capability within local planning authorities, including within their enforcement teams, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 67508 on 14 July 2025. In respect of post-occupancy monitoring, my Department does not collect the data requested. Officials in my Department have engaged with Natural England and local planning authorities about the monitoring of biodiversity enhancements, particularly in relation to the implementation of biodiversity net gain.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to improve the enforcement of ecological conditions attached to planning consents; and whether he has had recent discussions with (a) Natural England and (b) local planning authorities on improving post-occupancy inspections of biodiversity enhancements.

Monitoring and ensuring compliance with ecological conditions attached to planning permissions are matters for local planning authorities who already have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, to use as they consider appropriate. For a summary of the steps the government is taking to support capacity and capability within local planning authorities, including within their enforcement teams, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 67508 on 14 July 2025. In respect of post-occupancy monitoring, my Department does not collect the data requested. Officials in my Department have engaged with Natural England and local planning authorities about the monitoring of biodiversity enhancements, particularly in relation to the implementation of biodiversity net gain.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2025 to Question 78690 on Car Parks: Surveillance, whether his Department plans to amend (a) guidance and (b) regulations on the use of automatic number plate recognition technology in municipal car parks.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 30th October 2025 to question 85357 where I confirmed that the government has no plans to amend the current restrictions regarding Automatic Number Plate Recognition for local authorities.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October to Question 78690 on Automatic Number Plate Recognition, whether his Department plans to change rules on the use of automatic number plate recognition in municipal car parks.

The use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), or indeed any surveillance technology, as the sole means of enforcement of parking contraventions by local authorities was restricted by the Deregulation Act 2015.The government has received advice from the Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London Committee (PATROL), along with the British Parking Association and the Local Government Association, which calls for the granting of ANPR powers to local councils for civil parking enforcement.The Government has no plans to amend these restrictions as the current ruling ensures non-compliant motorists are made aware that they are contravening parking restrictions at the time of the contravention.

Communities and Local Government, what representations her Department has received from local authorities and parking operators on the use of automatic number plate recognition in municipal car parks since 4 July 2024.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 77649 on 13 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what representations his Department has received on the use of ANPR in municipal car parks since 4 July 2024.

In January 2024, Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London (PATROL), together with the British Parking Association and the Local Government Association written jointly to the department and the Department for Transport recommending that the government grant ANPR powers for civil parking enforcement. The use of ANPR, or indeed any surveillance technology, as the sole means of enforcement of parking contravention by Local Authorities has been restricted by the Deregulation Act 2015. This means that local authorities cannot issue Penalty Charge Notices via post following the detection of a parking contravention by surveillance technology in all but a limited number of cases; for example, if the motorist drives away before the ticket can be issued or in certain circumstances on-street like bus lanes and red routes. This is to make non-compliant motorists aware that they are contravening parking restrictions at the time of the contravention.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued guidance to local highways authorities on the placement of not formally authorised (a) flags, (b) banners and (c) advertisements from (i) lampposts and (ii) other local authority street furniture since 4 July 2024.

The government supports the flying of flags across the country. Flags should be an embodiment of bringing our country and our communities together. Guidance exists, such as ‘Flying flags: a plain English guide” - as set out in the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007 (as amended in 2012 and 2021) – which outlines the regulations related to the flying of flags in England.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to bring forward pilot zoning schemes to provide easier planning for commercial development in financial and professional service hubs in the East of England.

The government recognises a local zonal approach where upfront planning permission is granted for certain types of commercial development can be a useful tool to attract new investment to specific places.Local planning authorities already have the power to make Local Development Orders to do this, and the National Planning Policy Framework encourages them to use this tool.Through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, we are also now giving mayors a similar power to make Mayoral Development Orders, enabling them to bring forward proactively new strategic sites for commercial development in their area.

Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to support the development of local industrial strategies for financial and related professional services in Essex.

Greater Essex is part of the Devolution Priority Programme, which aims to see a new Mayoral Strategic Authority established by spring 2026. If a Mayoral Strategic Authority is established, it will need to develop a Local Growth Plan to provide a long-term strategic framework for growth in the region. Foundation Strategic Authorities and Local Authorities in non-devolution are also encouraged to set out a vision for growth in their area that builds on existing local economic strategies where possible. The Industrial Strategy Sector Plans for Financial Services and Professional and Business Services include measures to grow these sectors across the UK.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that local government is accountable for its decisions.

Councils are democratic institutions accountable to the communities they serve. We are strengthening that accountability through clearer expectations, stronger local scrutiny, and a renewed focus on outcomes. Together, these measures are building a more trusting and equal partnership-based relationship between central and local government.

Communities and Local Government, whether it is her policy to introduce increased roles for parish and town councils.

Local authorities act independently of central government. Town and parish councils can work with other tiers of local government to determine how they can best serve their communities in their area. The English Devolution White Paper was clear that we know people value the role of governance at the community scale, and that this can be a concern when local government is reorganised. We will therefore want to see stronger community arrangements when reorganisation happens in the way councils engage at a neighbourhood or area level.

Communities and Local Government, how many grey belt planning applications have been submitted since 12 December 2024.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government annually publish statistics showing the extent of England’s Green Belt, including changes resulting from land being released from, or added to, the Green Belt. These statistics can be found on gov.uk here. The next statistical release will be published in autumn 2025.In addition, the department publishes statistics on land use change, including estimates of new residential addresses created in Green Belt and other categories of land. The department also publishes statistics every three months on the number of planning applications made, decided, and granted in England, down to local authority level.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the increase in the number of veterans able to vote due to the introduction of the Veterans ID card as voter ID.

All veterans eligible to vote already have the opportunity to do so. If they do not have one of the accepted forms of identification, they are able to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate, free of charge, or they can choose to vote by post or by proxy.The Veteran Card has been issued to approximately 250,000 former service personnel, and they will be able to use these as ID at the polling station from May 2025 onwards. We have no data on the number of those veterans who do not possess another form of accepted voter ID.

Communities and Local Government, how many people with citizenship of other countries can vote in UK elections; of which countries such people hold citizenship; which elections they are eligible to vote in; and whether these arrangements are reciprocal.

Electoral statistics are not available broken down by citizenship.The franchise for UK Parliamentary elections, Northern Ireland Assembly elections, local government elections in England and Northern Ireland and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales are reserved. This answer relates to reserved elections only.Irish citizens resident in the UK can vote in all elections. These rights are reciprocal. Commonwealth citizens lawfully resident in the UK can vote in all elections. These rights are not generally reciprocal.EU citizens resident in the UK before EU exit can in the main continue to vote in local elections. Post-Brexit migrants from some EU Member States (Poland, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal and Denmark), with whom the Government has agreed reciprocal arrangements, can vote in local elections.The franchise for devolved elections in Scotland and Wales is a matter for the Scottish and Welsh parliaments.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2024 to Question 17300 on Muslim Council of Britain, what her policy is on engagement with (a) Cage, (b) MEND and (c) the Muslim Association of Britain.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 20228 on 24 December 2024.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Prime Minister’s oral contribution in response to the question from the hon. Member for Birmingham Hall Green and Mosely, of 27 November 2024, Official Report, column 768, what steps the Government is taking to help tackle the desecration of (a) all religious texts and (b) the prophets of the Abrahamic religions.

Desecration of religious texts and abusing or targeting people for their faith or belief is awful and should be condemned. The Government is working with partners to tackle all forms of prejudice, division and hatred experienced by religious and other communities.To champion freedom of religion or belief abroad, my Hon Friend the Member for North Northumberland has been appointed Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, promoting tolerance and mutual respect through and alongside the UK’s diplomatic network.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of the number of houses that will be built in the (a) 2024-25, (b) 2025-26, (c) 2026-27, (d) 2027-28, (e) 2028-29 and (f) 2029-30 financial years.

The government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament. Progress will be measured through the number of net additional dwellings and we will update Parliament in the usual manner.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and (b) properties built on the grey belt have access to sufficient quantities of water for domestic and business use.

Through the Development Consent process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, applicants will undertake water resource assessments for their projects and consultations with water authorities. This ensures that water infrastructure is planned before a Development Consent Order is granted.In our recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, we consulted on a definition of grey belt land. The consultation closed on the 24 September and officials in my department are currently analysing responses with a view to publishing a government response before the end of the year that will include a final definition of grey belt land and detail on the operation of the concept.