Kevin Hollinrake MP: written questions 2026
507 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Public Houses: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102819More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2025 to Question 97528 on Electronic Cigarettes: Public Houses, whether a pub vaping ban would constitute a material change of circumstances for the purposes of the Valuation Of
Answer: A vaping ban in pubs would not constitute a material change of circumstance that would impact the rating assessment of a property. Section 14 of the Non-Domestic Rating Act 2023 in England, and in Wales, The Valuation for Rating (Prescribed Assumptions) (...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Redundancy PayDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102818More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2025 to Question 94728 on DEFRA: Redundancy Pay, whether the Chief Secretary to the Treasury approved the exit package of up to £350,000.
Answer: Flood Re is a company limited by guarantee. It does not receive any grant funding from the Government. As such, no Government funding has been spent on exit packages at Flood Re. Under the previous Government, Flood Re was granted an exemption from the ci...
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic Houses: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102817More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the mean Rateable Value of a public house in (a) 2025-26 under the current Rating List and (b) 2026-27 under the draft Rating List in each billing authority in England.
Answer: The Valuation Office Agency published data relating to your request which can be found here.
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ElectionsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102816More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2025, to Question 97532 on Local Government: Elections, what consideration was given by Ministers to consulting the Electoral Commission bef
Answer: The Government has announced that it is minded to hold the inaugural mayoral elections for Sussex and Brighton, Hampshire and the Solent, Norfolk and Suffolk, and Greater Essex in May 2028, with areas completing the local government reorganisation process...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordResolute 1850Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102815More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to the written statement of 16 December 2025 HCWS1186, on electoral resilience, whether the review will consider the foreign influence on UK politics through US-registere
Answer: It is, and always will be, an absolute priority for this Government to protect our democratic and electoral processes. On 16 December, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced an independent review into countering for...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic Places: Political ActivitiesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102814More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2025 to Question 94722 on Public Spaces: Political Activities, whether local authorities may charge more than cost recovery when levying such
Answer: When setting fees local authorities are encouraged to be mindful of their legislative requirements and any guidance issued to them. The Local Government Association has published guidance on locally set licensing fees here which sets out the reasonable co...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordChinese Embassy: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102813More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 15 December 2025 to Question HL12628 on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, if he will make it his policy not to determine the planning applicat
Answer: My Department does not comment on live planning cases. The full reasons for the decision will be set out in the final decision letter.
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102812More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what planning weight can decision-makers give to the emerging policy in the draft National Planning Policy Framework of 16 December 2025 during the consultation period.
Answer: The proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework published in draft on 16 December are subject to consultation prior to being finalised. It is at the discretion of individual decision makers as whether any weight should be given to the propo...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102811More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance the (a) Government and (b) Planning Inspectorate has given to local planning authorities and inspectors on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the plan
Answer: Neither the government nor the Planning Inspectorate has issued guidance to local planning authorities on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in relation to retrospective planning applications and unauthorised development.
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSolar Power: DecommissioningDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102810More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department requires solar developers to restore land to its original condition following the removal of solar infrastructure.
Answer: The overarching National Policy Statements for Energy (EN-1) and Renewable Energy (EN-3) provide decommissioning guidance for projects deploying under the Nationally Significant Project Regime. EN-3 sets out the expectation that generally solar panel arra...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSolar Power: DecommissioningDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102809More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what guidance his Department has issued on the decommissioning of large-scale solar installations at the end of their operational life.
Answer: The department has not published any separate guidance on the decommissioning of solar farms. However, as set out in the Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy (EN-1) and the National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy (EN-3), developers must...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSolar Power: DecommissioningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102808More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance he has issued to local planning authorities on enforcing land restoration following the removal of solar developments.
Answer: The Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) on renewable and low carbon energy sets out that solar farms are normally temporary structures and that planning conditions can be used to ensure that installations are removed when no longer in use and the land restor...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSolar Power: DecommissioningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102807More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether land previously used for solar farms is classified as brownfield following decommissioning.
Answer: Brownfield land, also known as previously developed land, is defined in the glossary of the National Planning Policy Framework which can be found on gov.uk here. It is for those making decisions on specific planning proposals to determine whether a site c...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSolar Power: SoilDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102806More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the potential risk of soil contamination from materials used in solar panels, cabling, inverters or battery storage systems.
Answer: Solar panels are designed to be highly durable, and there is no evidence that they pose a leaching risk under normal operating conditions. New solar sites must have conducted environmental surveys, and environmental and habitat impact assessments. They mu...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSolar Power: Land UseDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102805More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of whether solar panels, mounting systems and associated infrastructure can be removed without causing damage to agricultural land.
Answer: Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy (EN-1) and the National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy (EN-3) provide decommissioning guidance for large scale projects deploying under the Nationally Significant Project Regime. EN-3 states that sol...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSoilDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102804More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of changes to soil quality.
Answer: The Government is working towards improving soil health across England by measuring and monitoring the national condition of soil. Establishing a baseline is essential for evaluating change and identifying improvements or declines in soil health. National...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordElectronic Cigarettes: Public HousesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101778More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 84923 on Public Houses: Electronic Cigarettes, whether his Department has assessed the potential impact of a ban on vaping in pubs on their (a
Answer: The Tobacco and Vapes Bill gives the Government powers to make most public places and workplaces that are smoke-free also vape-free.We plan to consult on making most indoor settings, that are subject to existing smoke-free legislation, vape-free. This wou...
Answered 16 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordStrikes: BallotsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101777More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, further to his Department's consultation entitled Make Work Pay: Consultation - Draft Code of Practice on Electronic and Workplace Balloting for Statutory Union Ballots, published on 19 November 2025,
Answer: The environmental impact of e-balloting, and anticipated reduction in postal balloting is estimated to have a net positive environmental effect. It is expected that e-balloting will reduce the physical printing and transport requirements of the existing p...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordStrike BallotsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101776More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, further to his Department's consultation entitled Make Work Pay: Consultation - Draft Code of Practice on Electronic and Workplace Balloting for Statutory Union Ballots, published on 19 November 2025,
Answer: The Government committed to enable unions to use modern and secure electronic and workplace balloting for statutory ballots, bringing union participation in line with modern voting practices that political parties and listed companies already use.
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record1 Carlton Gardens: Council TaxMinistry of JusticeTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101775More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether council tax at 1 Carlton Gardens is paid by the Government.
Answer: The Deputy Prime Minister’s residence at Carlton Gardens is his primary residence.Council tax for 1 Carlton Gardens is paid for personally by its occupant, in line with long-standing government policy.
Answered 21 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: SecondmentDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101774More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2025 to Question 84665 on DEFRA: Secondment, whether a business case was made for seconding the Second Permanent Secretary; and who is undertaking
Answer: The secondment was arranged and undertaken in accordance with Defra’s standard secondment approach. There are no interim arrangements in place to cover the role of Second Permanent Secretary. Responsibilities previously held by the Second Permanent Secret...
Answered 21 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPolitical Parties: ConferencesHome OfficeTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101773More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to consult political parties on the methodology for the allocation of Conference Security Grant for 2026.
Answer: The Home Office will be conducting an internal review of departmental funding for Party Political Conferences, including allocations from the Conference Security Grant, to ensure public funds are used effectively. The Home Office will consult relevant sta...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordOffice for Value for Money: RedundancyTreasuryTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101772More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any staff (a) have and (b) will be made redundant following the closure of the Office for Value for Money.
Answer: The Office for Value for Money (OVfM) successfully delivered on its remit.Its functions have been embedded within the Treasury, leaving a legacy of value for money improvements across the public sector. OVfM was made up of a combination of HM Treasury emp...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordTreasury: Official ResidencesTreasuryTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101771More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2025 to Question 92033 on Ministers: Second Homes, whether her official ministerial residence is classified as a second home.
Answer: The Chancellor of the Exchequer pays full council tax on the flat above 10 Downing Street as her primary residence.
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordMarried People: Tax AllowancesTreasuryTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101770More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the number of households who will have (a) Married Couple’s Allowance and (b) marriage allowance reduced as a result of freezing of income tax thresholds.
Answer: HMRC does not produce household-level analysis for either the Marriage Allowance or the Married Couple’s Allowance. Data on the number of Marriage Allowance claimants up to 2022-23 can be found here:Non-structural tax reliefs - GOV.UK Published estimates ...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
Published records only — not a full account of an MP’s work. How we work →