David Simmonds MP: written questions
457 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Ministers: Corporate HospitalityMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 125722More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the factsheet entitled Political Donations Overview: existing rules and what is changing, published on 2 March 2026, whether the new provisions on (a) due dilig
Answer: The political finance measures set out in the government’s factsheet Political Donations Overview: existing rules and what is changing relate to donations regulated under electoral law, including donations to political parties, candidates and campaigners....
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing Ombudsman Service: Fees and ChargesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 125289More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the change to the Housing Ombudsman Service's level of fees on the financial burden on local authorities; and what steps he
Answer: Following consultation, the Housing Ombudsman published its 2026-27 Business Plan on 15 April. Both the final Business Plan and a consultation response summary can be found on the Housing Ombudsman’s website here.Fees will be increased to £9.64 per home i...
Answered 24 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordUnitary CouncilsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 125002More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will set out the process of deciding boundaries for shadow unitary authority elections in 2027, including in those existing districts which will be split between two propos
Answer: The Department is liaising closely with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (the Commission). The Secretary of State invited the Commission to respond as a named consultee on all proposals received that involved boundary change requests s...
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordCustody: PolandMinistry of JusticeTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 124923More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will have discussions with his counterparts in the European Union on case number INFR(2021)2001 relating to Poland's obligations in relation to the Brussels IIa Regulation.
Answer: The Government has no plans to discuss this infringement case with Ministers from EU countries. Officials in the Ministry of Justice and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have been in contact with officials in the European Commission, which...
Answered 20 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordChurches: Repairs and MaintenanceChurch CommissionersTabled 26 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 124230More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, if she can confirm current charging arrangements for local authorities to request a Diocese faculty to consider changes to the grounds maintenance provision within closed churchy
Answer: In this instance the Hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner will need to consult the Diocesan Registrar or Diocesan Secretary of the Diocese of London as this is a matter for the relations and discussions between a local authority and the diocesan ...
Answered 27 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordEden Project: MorecambeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122216More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2026 to Question 105396 on Eden Project: Morecambe, whether he has had discussions with representatives from (a) Lancaster City Council and (
Answer: I have had no engagement. My officials have as part of regular monitoring as per the answer given to Question UIN 120470 on 19 March 2026.
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordTravellers: Caravan SitesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122215More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of unauthorised traveller sites were established during (a) weekends and (b) bank holidays in (i) 2026, (ii) 2025, (iii) 2024, (iv) 2023, (v), 2022 a
Answer: My Department does not hold the required information.
Answered 1 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordTravellers: Caravan SitesHome OfficeTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122214More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Equality Act 2010 on (a) the police and (b) local authorities ability to tackle unauthorised traveller sites.
Answer: The police and local authorities are required to act in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. The powers available to the police apply to anyone residing on land without consent and refu...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax: SurchargesTreasuryTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122213More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of name of the high value council tax surcharge on public awareness of the local authorities' role in the process of collecting revenue from this tax.
Answer: As set out at Budget 2025, the High Value Council Tax Surcharge will be administered alongside existing Council Tax by local authorities, who will collect revenue. The Government will undertake a new burdens assessment to ensure costs to local authorities...
Answered 27 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordMusic Venues and Public Houses: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122212More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to Answer of 10 February 2026 to Question 109627 on Music Venues and Public Houses: Business Rates, if she will publish information on pubs and live music venues relief.
Answer: In 2026/27, all pubs and live music venues will benefit from 15% relief on their new business rates bills on top of the support announced at the Budget. Their bills will then be frozen in real terms for two years from April 2027.
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordCouncil TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122211More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook, 3 March 2026, para 3.41, and Table A.5, what estimate he has made of the potential impact on policy changes on referendum
Answer: The Government has provided councils with longer-term certainty through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. As part of this, we have set out our intention to maintain 3% + 2% referendum principles for the vast majority of councils in each year of...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordCouncil TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122210More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what methodology his Department uses when calculating a council taxbase in the context of the Local Government Finance Settlement.
Answer: The government believes it is right to continue to calculate Core Spending Power in line with the approach used at previous Settlements. We are therefore assuming each authority’s council tax base increases in line with the average annual growth in their ...
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSecret BallotSpeaker's Committee on the Electoral CommissionTabled 19 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 122209More
Question: To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if he will take steps to help reduce family voting.
Answer: The Electoral Commission takes allegations of electoral fraud very seriously. It is a criminal offence to attempt to pressure someone to vote in a certain way. The Commission encourages anyone who believes an offence has occurred to report it to the polic...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121214More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2026, to Question 111685, on Local Government Finance, if he will publish the underlying datasets referenced in each of the technical notes
Answer: The technical notes published as part of the final multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement published on 9 February 2026 include footnotes, which provide links to the underlying datasets such as the ONS’ population projections and the 2025 Indices o...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElections: Local GovernmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121213More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2026 to Question 109265 on Local Government: Elections, which (a) people and (b) organisations submitted evidence, excluding ordinary member
Answer: A summary of the representations submitted is set out in the Explanatory Memorandum prepared at the time and can be found on gov.uk here. The government currently has no plans to publish individual representations received.
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordTravellers: Caravan SitesHome OfficeTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121212More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance has been given on whether Public Space Protection Orders can be used against unauthorised traveller sites.
Answer: The Home Office does not issue specific guidance on the use of PSPOs against individual crime or ASB types, including unauthorised traveller sites.
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHouseboatsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121211More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance has been given to local authorities on removing unauthorised moorings on rivers; and what is the division of responsibilities between (a) councils and (b) Environment Age
Answer: Navigation authorities are responsible for managing operations on their waterways and the Government does not direct that. Boaters are expected to comply with the terms of their licences for the benefit of all waterway users, including any restrictions on...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSecond Homes: Council TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121210More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued guidance to local billing authorities on (a) the hierarchy of liability for the second homes council tax premium and (b) who is responsible for
Answer: The government has not published guidance on the assessment of council tax liability. Liability for council tax is determined by billing authorities who will consider the facts of each case against the hierarchy of liability set out in section 6 of the Lo...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government Pension SchemeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 12 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120478More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been of the potential impact of the Local Government Pension Scheme pooling has (a) increased and (b) reduced (i) administrative costs and (ii) fund performan
Answer: The scale and expertise of the asset pools have delivered a step change in the expertise, capacity and resilience of the Local Government Pension Scheme. Since the inception of asset pooling, the total costs reported by LGPS asset pools is £792 million, b...
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic DigitalCabinet OfficeTabled 12 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120477More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Public Digital staff are currently seconded to the UK Government to work on the Test, Learn and Grow Programme.
Answer: Public Digital are a commercial partner to the Test, Learn and Grow programme, led by the Cabinet Office, and their staff are now secondees.
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElections: Pilot SchemesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 12 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120476More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Electoral Commission was consulted by his department prior to the publication of the prospectus on local election pilots in May 2026.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 84647 on 29 October 2025, UIN 118656 on 16 March 2026, and UIN 116760 on 25 March 2026. The government have worked closely with the Electoral Commission in the design of the pilots, and will co...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordVoting Rights: Young PeopleMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 12 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120475More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what is the planned implementation date for the lowering of the voting age to 16.
Answer: The government was elected on a manifesto commitment to extend the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds in all UK elections. To deliver this commitment, the Representation of the People Bill was introduced Parliament on 12 February 2026 and received its ...
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElection Offences: DisinformationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 12 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120474More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has considered updating the electoral offence of making a false statement of fact in relation to the candidate’s personal character or conduct to help tackle the disse
Answer: The government recognises the threat that deepfakes and misleading material pose to elections and the importance of ensuring that electoral law is fit for a modern electoral environment. The government continually assesses the effectiveness of electoral l...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ElectionsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 12 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120473More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authority Returning Officers, in the areas with cancelled council elections in May 2026 which have now been reinstated, will be financially indemnified by HM Govern
Answer: Local government elections are the responsibility of local authorities, which appoint and fund Returning Officers and meet the costs of administering local polls. Returning Officers are personally legally liable for the conduct of local elections and make...
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElections: Pilot SchemesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 12 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120472More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the written statement of 2 March 2026, HCWS1375, on Flexible Voting Pilots, how many and which councils applied to be pilots; and what were the criteria used to selec
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 84647 on 29 October 2025, UIN 118656 on 16 March 2026, and UIN 116760 on 25 March 2026. The government have worked closely with the Electoral Commission in the design of the pilots, and will co...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament record
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