David Simmonds MP: written questions
1010 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Council TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 453More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's Council tax information letter 3/2026 published on 15 April 2026, whether a new burdens payment will be made to local authorities further to th
Answer: The government, in its response to the council tax administration consultation, committed to conduct a New Burdens assessment to ensure changes are appropriately funded. The published response can be found here.
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: ExpenditureDepartment for EducationTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 452More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the publication MHCLG: spending over £25,000, January 2026, published on 25 February 2026, what the spending on transaction CFO & Corporate Coram (Thomas Coram Foundation), Ref: 5105609031, fo
Answer: The Thomas Coram Foundation research contract was commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of the Supporting Families programme in 2023. When the programme moved to the Department for Education (DfE) as par...
Answered 20 May 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal GovernmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 451More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has published any guidance on the operation of Section 9I of the Localism Act 2011.
Answer: Section 9I is a provision of the Local Government Act 2000. The Department has not published specific guidance on this provision.
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordTower Hamlets CouncilMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 450More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Ministerial Envoys to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets have reviewed the council's 2025-26 expenditure and procurement of the Mosque Engagement Programme.
Answer: Ministerial Envoys do not take, or assess the impact of, individual funding and regulatory decisions by the authority; the responsibility for which remains with the Council. As part of the statutory intervention in Tower Hamlets, the Envoys are supporting...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax: Greater LondonMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 449More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether guidance has been given to the London Assembly on whether Assembly Members in council tax arrears may vote on the setting of the Greater London Authority’s council tax pr
Answer: No specific government guidance has been issued to the London Assembly in relation to whether Assembly Members in council tax arrears may vote on council tax requirements arising from the Mayor of London’s annual budget proposals.
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordMayors: Public AppointmentsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 448More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the statutory guidance entitled Appointing mayoral commissioners and setting/reporting allowances, 16 April 2026, paragraph 75, who determines whether a Commiss
Answer: The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act provides Overview and Scrutiny Committees in Mayoral Combined Authorities and Mayoral Combined County Authorities (known as Local Scrutiny Committees) with the power to impose a civil penalty on a perso...
Answered 19 May 2026
Original Parliament recordRecreation SpacesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 447More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the speech of Baroness Taylor of Stevenage of 13 April 2026, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 121, for what reason the review is now an internal review;
Answer: The Government’s commitment has consistently been to review existing statutory protections rather than to conduct a consultation. The review will involve gathering evidence from a wide range of sources and stakeholders in a targeted and proportionate way.
Answered 19 May 2026
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Departmental ResponsibilitiesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 446More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 7 January 2026 to Question 97134 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Departmental Responsibilities, for what reason the Secr
Answer: At the events on 28 October and 24 November the Secretary of State spoke about the overall government approach to housing. No other departmental business was discussed. As these were party political events, it would not be appropriate for the Department t...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordTravellers: Caravan SitesHome OfficeTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 445More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of 21 April 2026 to Question 126747 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, if she will publish the Public Sector Equality Duty assessment.
Answer: The Government takes all necessary steps to ensure that legislation is developed in line with its statutory obligations, including the Public Sector Equality Duty.Equality impacts were considered as part of the development of the amendment to police power...
Answered 18 May 2026
Original Parliament recordHome Office: GreenpeaceHome OfficeTabled 13 May 2026WithdrawnUIN 444More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of 27 April 2026, to Question 126743, on Home Office: Greenpeace, when the Home Office last engaged with Greenpeace; and whether it is subject to a formal policy of non-en
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordHome Office: GreenpeaceHome OfficeTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 443More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of 27 April 2026, to Question 126743, on Home Office: Greenpeace, when the Home Office last engaged with Greenpeace; and whether it is subject to a formal policy of non-en
Answer: There is no standing policy of non-engagement with Greenpeace. Ministerial engagements with external stakeholders are published and available online. Home Office: ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings - GOV.UK
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government Finance: West SurreyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 442More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Surrey County Council paper, "Implementation Programme Update Report, Annex 3 – Draft Illustrative Financial Baseline", of April 2026, what assessment has h
Answer: Multi-year allocations for all councils, including those which have been invited to undergo reorganisation, were set out in the final Local Government Finance Settlement. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced r...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HillingdonHome OfficeTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 441More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of 21 April 2026, to Question 126742, on Asylum: Hillingdon, how much was provided to Hillingdon in 2025-26 for asylum grant funding.
Answer: The Cabinet Office publish annual grant funding data (Government Grants Data and Statistics) where you can find details of grant levels by local authority area broken down per year. The Home Office does not publish any additional information.
Answered 19 May 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: Short-term Holding FacilitiesHome OfficeTabled 16 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127893More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure asylum seekers are securely dispersed from short-term holding facilities when those facilities reach capacity.
Answer: The Home Office has a statutory obligation to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute by providing appropriate support which usually includes accommodation.Accommodation Plans consider a range of suitability factors for dispersal in each L...
Answered 23 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: MeetingsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127610More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued governance guidance to local authorities on whether a sitting Chairman or civic Mayor can preside over, and participate in, a Full Council debat
Answer: Local authority governance arrangements are a matter for councils themselves, operating within the statutory framework set by the Local Government Act 1972.
Answered 23 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordTaxation: ValuationTreasuryTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126755More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will publish the most recent version of the Valuation Office Agency's Property Details Guide.
Answer: There are no plans to publish the Valuation Office’s Property Details Guide at this time.
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic ExpenditureTreasuryTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126754More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the answer of 19 March 2026 to Question HL15251 on Business Rates, whether devolved Administrations will receive Barnett consequential funding for pub and live music relief; and whether the figures
Answer: Business rates are a devolved tax. Details on business rates receipts in England can be found on page 112 of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2026 Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The Barnett formula applied in the normal way, as set out in the St...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordRevenue and Customs and Valuation Office AgencyTreasuryTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126753More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Valuation Office Agency news story entitled VOA integration with HMRC, of 12 March 2026, whether Valuation Office branding will be retained by HMRC.
Answer: From 1 April 2026, the Valuation Office Agency no longer exists as an executive agency, and now operates as a group within HMRC. The Valuation Office name has been retained, and it has been integrated into HMRC’s branding for customer communications.
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordBusiness Rates: Tax YieldsTreasuryTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126752More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of gross business rate receipts in (a) England and (b) the United Kingdom in (i) 2024-25, (ii) 2025-26 and (iii) 2026-27 following changes to pub and live music relief.
Answer: Business rates are a devolved tax. Details on business rates receipts in England can be found on page 112 of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2026 Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The Barnett formula applied in the normal way, as set out in the St...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government FinanceTreasuryTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126751More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which taxes (a) local authorities and (b) combined authority mayors will retain local revenues for.
Answer: The Government is developing a roadmap for fiscal devolution, which will set out plans to give mayors of strategic authorities control of a share of some national taxes that for too long have been allocated by central government. The Government will be wo...
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax: SurchargesTreasuryTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126750More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the successful appeal rate against valuations for the new council tax surcharge.
Answer: HMRC Valuation Office is developing its approach to the High Value Council Tax Surcharge. The Government recognises the importance of the right to appeal and will consult on the details of this in 2026.
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax: SurchargesTreasuryTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126749More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether residential properties subject to the annual tax on enveloped dwellings are required to pay the high value council tax surcharge.
Answer: If a residential property currently attracts the Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings and is above the threshold for the High Value Council Tax Surcharge, it will pay both.
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordStrategic Migration Partnerships: FinanceHome OfficeTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126748More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2026 to Question 119316 on Strategic Migration Partnerships: Finance, what the (a) grant programme codes, (b) grant programme titles and (c) award dates were of paym
Answer: The Home Office does not currently publish information relating to Strategic Migration Partnerships for 2024-25, previous years funding can be found here: Government Grants Data and Statistics
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordTravellers: Caravan SitesHome OfficeTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of 6 March 2026 to Question HL14718 on Public Bodies: Human Rights, whether an (a) equality impact, (b) human rights, (c) regulatory impact and (d) environmental principle
Answer: The Government takes all necessary steps to ensure that legislation is developed in line with its statutory obligations and established processes, including the need to act compatibly with human rights.In response to the declaration of incompatibility mad...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordIndependent Inquiry Into Grooming Gangs: FinanceHome OfficeTabled 13 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 126746More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) budget and (b) forecast cost is of the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs.
Answer: As set out in the Terms of Reference for the Inquiry, published on 31 March 2026, the final report of the Inquiry must be submitted to the Home Secretary by 31 March 2029. It is supported by a £65 million budget.In addition, within three months of the for...
Answered 21 Apr 2026
Original Parliament record
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