David Simmonds MP: written questions
190 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Prayer: Public PlacesHome OfficeTabled 9 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 28437More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 1 September 2026 to Question 17446, on Prayer: Public Places, whether the Home Office has issued guidance on whether silent public prayer is permissible in a safe access zone
Answer: The Government is committed to protecting freedom of expression and religion, while ensuring that individuals can access abortion services without harassment or intimidation.The legislation does not specify particular behaviours which are permissible or n...
Answered 14 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordVisitor Levy: AsylumMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Sept 2026Awaiting answerUIN 28436More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2026, to Question 5337, on Visitor Levy: Asylum, whether she has had discussions with the Welsh and Scottish Governments on whether the overnight
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordCandidates: CommonwealthSpeaker's Committee on the Electoral CommissionTabled 9 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 28435More
Question: To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Electoral Commission provides on whether Commonwealth citizens can stand for election to (a) Parliament and (b) lo
Answer: The Electoral Commission’s guidance for candidates and agents sets out the qualification requirements for UK parliamentary elections and local government elections in England. Commonwealth citizens must meet these requirements to stand, and they must eith...
Answered 14 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordElections: Local GovernmentSpeaker's Committee on the Electoral CommissionTabled 9 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 28434More
Question: To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission was consulted prior to the announcement of the cancellation of unitary elections in May 2027.
Answer: The Commission was not consulted on the announcement of the cancellation of unitary elections in May 2027.
Answered 14 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax: ValuationTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26178More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the answer of 26 February 2026 to Question 113649 on Council Tax: Valuation, whether there is HMRC Valuation Office guidance on physical inspections of dwellings for council tax valuations.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN19141 tabled on 15 July 2026.
Answered 9 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordBusiness Rates: ValuationTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26177More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what Special Category Code is given by HMRC Valuation Office to (a) betting shops, (b) fast food takeaways, (c) adult gaming centres and (d) barbers.
Answer: The Valuation Office publishes a list of Special Category codes and descriptions on their website here.
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordBusiness RatesTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26176More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to reduce business rates on (a) butchers, (b) bakers and (c) bookshops.
Answer: The Government has introduced new permanent lower multipliers for eligible Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) properties. These provide nearly £1 billion per year of support to the RHL sector and benefit over 750,000 properties, replacing temporary rel...
Answered 9 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordBusiness Rates and Council Tax: ValuationTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26175More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Valuation Office Agency annual report and accounts, 2025-26, HC401, 9 July 2026, pages 53 and 56, what the nature of the risk is in relation to (a) the introduction of the council tax surcharge
Answer: As outlined in our annual report and accounts, the risks relating to Revaluation 2029 and High Value Council Tax Surcharge relate to VO delivery and ensuring we mitigate them effectively.
Answered 9 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordValuation Office Agency: StaffTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26174More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Valuation Office Agency annual report and accounts, 2025-26, HC401, 9 July 2026, page 81, if he will break down the increase in staff by business unit; and what the FTE target is for 2026-27.
Answer: The Valuation Office’s headcount increase was for 9 corporate roles and 484 operational roles. The operational roles were split between the Chief Valuer Group (152) and the Valuation Operation Group (332) to support delivery across a range of areas includ...
Answered 9 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordValuation Office Agency: ICTTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26173More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Valuation Office Agency annual report and accounts, 2025-26, HC401, 9 July 2026, page 46, how data enhancement was undertaken to improve council tax data quality.
Answer: Data enhancement involves reviewing property information held by the VO, including validating and updating property attributes and correcting missing or inaccurate records. This provides a more accurate evidence base for valuations.
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordRevenue and Customs: Freedom of InformationTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26172More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the HMRC response to Freedom of Information Act request FOI2026/09619, of 11 June 2026.
Answer: The information requested in Freedom of Information request FOI2026/09619, the Valuation Office’s Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) for the 2026 business rates revaluation, has already been disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Disclosure u...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordHome Shopping: VATTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26171More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the No10 press release entitled Burnham means business: PM slashes business rates bills for pubs, clubs and live music venues, of 23 July 2026, what the estimated annual revenue is from extending V
Answer: The Government consulted on extending VAT online marketplace liability to combat non-compliance, from 23 June to 18 August 2026Revenue raised from extending the VAT online marketplace liability rules to domestic businesses will be reinvested into improvem...
Answered 9 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordBusiness RatesTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26170More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the No10 press release entitled Burnham means business: PM slashes business rates bills for pubs, clubs and live music venues, 23 July 2026, how he plans to determine whether premises will be eligi
Answer: The scope of the 20 per cent relief will broadly follow the scope of the current 15 per cent relief and real-terms freeze in bills. However, to target support where it is most needed, the Government will not be making the additional 20 per cent available ...
Answered 9 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordRevenue and Customs: SecondmentTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26169More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which organisations have (a) had departmental Civil Servants seconded to HMRC and the Valuation Office since July 2024 and (b) seconded organisational staff to HMRC and the Valuation Office in that period.
Answer: Since July 2024, HMRC civil servants have been seconded to the following organisations: • Gambling Commission • Office for Environmental Protection • St Helena Government • Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) • Information Commissioner's Office (...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordFood: SalesTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26168More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HMRC Valuation Office values cake sheds for business rates.
Answer: The Valuation Office would consider the extent and frequency of the non-domestic use, and any modifications made to the property to accommodate that use, when deciding whether a cake shed fell to be rateable. Where the use of domestic property for a non-d...
Answered 9 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordRegional Growth FundTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026Awaiting answerUIN 26167More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding has been allocated to the Exceptional Regional Growth Fund in each year of the Spending Review period.
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordPublic Houses: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26166More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the answer of 10 April 2026, to Question 122709, if he will provide equivalent data, for the number of pubs with special category code 226 and 227, by local authority area, and their average Rateab
Answer: The HMRC Valuation Office publishes statistics on non-domestic properties, including public houses, through its non-domestic rating stock of properties collection. I refer the Member to the answer given to Question UIN122709 tabled on 23 March 2026 which ...
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAmusement Arcades: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26165More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the guidance, Business Rates Multipliers: Qualifying Retail, Hospitality or Leisure, of 30 March 2026, and with reference to the No10 press release, “PM vows to save hollowed out high streets with
Answer: Local Authorities determine whether a hereditament meets the legislative definition of Retail, Hospitality or Leisure (RHL) and therefore qualifies for the RHL multiplier. Ahead of Budget 2025, the Government laid a Statutory Instrument (SI) defining ‘qua...
Answered 9 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordBusiness Rates: ValuationTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26164More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HMRC official statistics, Non-domestic rating: challenges and changes statistical commentary, 6 August 2026, whether there is a forecast for the total number of (a) Checks, (b) Challenges and (c) a
Answer: The Valuation Office does not publish forecasts for the number of Checks, Challenges or Appeals that may be made against the 2026 rating list in England over the course of the rating cycle.
Answered 9 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordStudent Unions: Licensed PremisesTreasuryTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26163More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the guidance, Business Rates Multipliers: Qualifying Retail, Hospitality or Leisure, of 30 March 2026, whether student union bars are eligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure multiplier int
Answer: Local Authorities determine whether a hereditament meets the legislative definition of Retail, Hospitality or Leisure (RHL) and therefore qualifies for the RHL multiplier. Full details of eligibility for the new multipliers are set out in the relevant st...
Answered 9 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylumHome OfficeTabled 1 Sept 2026AnsweredUIN 26162More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to make changes to the dispersal system for asylum seekers to different local authority areas.
Answer: The Home Office remains responsible for meeting its statutory obligations to accommodate asylum seekers under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Decisions on the procurement and allocation of asylum accommodation are therefore a matter for the Home Off...
Answered 11 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 28 Aug 2026Awaiting answerUIN 25946More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to he policy paper entitled Plan for Change: Milestones for mission-led government, published on 5 December 2024, CP 1210, whether it remains her Department's poli
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordCandidates: Scotland and WalesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 28 Aug 2026Awaiting answerUIN 22103More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Government’s response to the Rycroft review, what discussions have been made with the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales on prospective candidat
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax: City of Westminster and WandsworthMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 22102More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2026, to Question 18022, on Council Tax: City of Westminster and Wandsworth, whether her Department has assumed a 5% + £300 a year increase, acr
Answer: As set out in the answer to Question UIN 113737 on 2 March 2026, to calculate their Core Spending Power, we assume City of Westminster, Wandsworth, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, City of London, and Windsor and Maidenhead increase their c...
Answered 4 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ReorganisationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 22101More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department plans to take to facilitate the transfer of armorial bearings from district and county councils to the new unitary authorities.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring ceremonial rights and privileges are maintained where local government reorganisation proposals are taken forward, and there are established mechanisms for doing so. Many ceremonial matters can be prese...
Answered 17 Sept 2026
Original Parliament record
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