David Simmonds MP: written questions
1010 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Visitor LevyTreasuryTabled 1 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 95883More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the written statement of 25 November 2025, HCWS1097, on Devolution and Growth, and further to the Visitor levy policy paper published on 26 November 2025, whether the levy measure will be classed by the G
Answer: The precise design and scope of a devolved power for Mayors to introduce an overnight visitor levy if they so choose is under development. The Government has published a consultation running until 18 February 2026, so that the public, businesses, and loca...
Answered 9 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAlcoholic Drinks: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 1 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 95882More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the Autumn Budget 2025, for what reason alcohol duty is being uprated by RPI rather than CPI inflation.
Answer: The Office for National Statistics, regulated by the UK Statistics Authority, produces a range of inflation statistics. The most widely used estimates of inflation, both by Government and the private sector, are the Consumer Prices Index and the Retail Pr...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCouncil TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 1 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 95881More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to Table A.5 of the OBR, Economic and Fiscal Outlook, November 2025, CP1439, 26 November 2025, according to information held by HM Government, if he will list the estimat
Answer: The Department has published data on actual council tax collection rates in England which can be found on gov.uk here. Estimates of council tax receipts (excluding police authorities, mayoral combined and county combined authorities and parish councils) w...
Answered 9 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Educational Needs: FinanceTreasuryTabled 1 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 95880More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to paragraph 1.28 of the OBR, Economic and Fiscal Outlook, November 2025, CP1439, 26 November 2025, how the Government intends to finance the cost of the estimated £14 billion of local authority SEND deficit
Answer: See paragraph 4.94 of Budget 2025: Strong Foundations, Secure Future. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2025-document
Answered 9 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax: SurchargesTreasuryTabled 1 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 95879More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate has the Valuation Office Agency made of the number of appeals that will be made against the high value council tax surcharge.
Answer: We recognise the importance of the right to appeal, and the Government will consult on the details of this in the new year.
Answered 9 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness Rates: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 1 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 95878More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Budget 2025, HC1492, 26 November 2025, Box 3.H, and to the HMT document, Effects of the business rates retail, hospitality and leisure multipliers and high value multiplier of 26 November 2025,
Answer: The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordTourism: TaxationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 1 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 95728More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77537 on Hotels: Taxation, and with reference to the written statement of 25 November 2025 on Devolution and Growth, HCWS109
Answer: The government keeps all tax policy under review. The government’s number one mission is to kickstart economic growth, and devolving fiscal powers is critical to achieving this.Introducing a visitor levy provides Mayors with a new lever to both raise and ...
Answered 9 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HillingdonHome OfficeTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95340More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding was allocated to the London Borough of Hillingdon for asylum costs in the 2024-2025 financial year.
Answer: The Home Office does not publicly publish grant payment levels by local authority, we do however provide funding to Local Authorities under the following grant agreements Asylum, Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking children & former unaccompanied asylum-seek...
Answered 8 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCouncillors: VettingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95339More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2025 to Question 83467 on Councillors: Disclosure and Barring Service, what steps would be taken if a councillor has a criminal record.
Answer: Where a councillor has been convicted of criminal offences and receives a jail sentence (whether suspended or not) of three months or more, they are disqualified from either standing for or holding office as a local authority member for a period of five y...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity Relations: RadicalismHome OfficeTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95338More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the Preventing Radicalisation Fund funding to local authorities in 2025-26 operating on a competitive bidding basis.
Answer: It is vital that Prevent is well-equipped to counter the threats that we face and the ideologies that underpin them. Prevent provides funding for all local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland to address radicalisation risks through targeted project...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity Relations: ExpenditureMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95337More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87322 on Community Relations: Expenditure, if he will place the monitoring and evaluation guidance in the Library; and if h
Answer: The monitoring and evaluation guidance was intended solely for the local authorities in receipt of funding from the Community Cohesion and Resilience Programme, these were set out in Question UIN 85786 on 5 November 2025. More detail on what has been deli...
Answered 5 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordTemporary Accommodation: RefugeesHome OfficeTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95335More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department made of potential changes in the cost of local authority temporary accommodation from asylum seekers moving across to refugee status.
Answer: The Home Office has not made such an assessment as costs to local authorities would not be in our remit.
Answered 8 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax: Single PeopleTreasuryTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95334More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether single person discount will apply to the high value council tax surcharge.
Answer: The High Value Council Tax Surcharge levies a new charge on owners of residential property in England worth £2 million or more. The Government will consult on exemptions, reliefs, and the detail of a support scheme for those who struggle to pay the charge...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordVisitor LevyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95333More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the potential annual revenue from the proposed overnight visitor levy; and whether an Impact Assessment has been produced.
Answer: The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy.The Visitor Levy Consultation, running until...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HillingdonHome OfficeTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95332More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding has been allocated to the London Borough of Hillingdon to assist with the costs of asylum seekers in 2025.
Answer: The Home Office does not publicly publish grant payment levels by local authority, we do however provide funding to Local Authorities under the following grant agreements Asylum, Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking children & former unaccompanied asylum-seek...
Answered 8 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordSecond Homes: Council TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95331More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether job-related exemption will be based on the job-related tests in the Schedule of the Council Tax (Prescribed Classes of Dwellings) (England) Regulations 2003 for the secon
Answer: The definition of a job-related dwelling, for the purposes of exceptions from the second homes premium, is set out in the 2003 regulations. The Government has issued guidance on council tax premiums including exceptions.
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Hazards: BirminghamDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95330More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 April 2025 to Question 44226 on Pest Control: Birmingham, whether he has made a recent assessment of the risks to (a) public health from the continued bin strike and (b
Answer: The Director of Public Health for Birmingham maintains an overview of the potential public health impacts associated with uncollected waste as a result of any disruption to waste services and would lead on initiating and conducting a public health risk as...
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordBusiness Rates: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95329More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference paragraph 4.28 of the Autumn Budget 2025, HC1492, published on 26 November 2025, how many hereditaments will pay the business rate transitional supplement in 2026-27; what estimate she has made of the
Answer: At Budget 2025, the Government announced updated property values independently assessed by the Valuation Office. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values (RVs) of properties are updated in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to ref...
Answered 5 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCouncillorsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95327More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 4 of the Autumn Budget 2025, HC1492, 26 November 2025, if he will publish the evidential basis for the claim that there would be a £250 million saving from
Answer: The Government is committed to cutting the cost of politics. The £250 million figure was calculated based on estimated savings from the potential reduction in local councillors through Local Government Reorganisation and from the abolition of Police and C...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning Authorities: RecruitmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95326More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 3.25 of the Autumn Budget 2025, HC1492, 26 November 2025, whether the funding for 350 planning officers is an additional (a) 50 and (b) 350 to the pre
Answer: At the Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026. At the Budget on 26 November 2025, the Chancellor announced a further £48 million of investment over t...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordVisitor LevyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95325More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to the Visitor levy policy paper published on 26 November 2025, whether MHCLG has modelled what the percentage rate per night would be under their preferred option of a p
Answer: The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy.The Visitor Levy Consultation, running until...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax: SurchargesTreasuryTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95324More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, through what mechanisms and systems will the Valuation Office Agency revalue dwellings for the new council tax surcharge.
Answer: The Valuation Office Agency are developing their approach to the targeted valuation and will set out more details in due course, following the outcome of the Government's consultation.In general, when valuing domestic properties, the VOA uses modern techn...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordVisitor LevyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95323More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to the written statement of 25 November 2025, HCWS1097, on Devolution and Growth, and further to the Visitor levy policy paper published on 26 November 2025, whether the
Answer: The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth including through support for the local visitor economy.The Visitor Levy Consultation, running until...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: Crowborough Training CampHome OfficeTabled 4 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 87892More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Wealden District Council has raised legal objections to the use of Crowborough Training Camp to house asylum seekers.
Answer: We do not comment on legal matters, however all sites progressed for asylum accommodation will comply with safety, security, health and wellbeing standards. This government will close every asylum hotel. Work is well underway, with more suitable sites bei...
Answered 12 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordEden Project: MorecambeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 31 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 87114More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether any changes have been made to the (a) government funding and (b) funding profile for the Eden North project following the decision to cancel the Levelling Up Fund.
Answer: The MHCLG Levelling Up Fund, Town Deals, and Simplification Pathfinder Pilot have been consolidated into the Local Regeneration Fund. There have been no changes to government funding and no changes to the funding profile, since the MoU was fully signed in...
Answered 7 Nov 2025
Original Parliament record
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