Paul Holmes MP: written questions 2025
80 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Council TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24235More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the draft Local Government Finance Settlement published on 18 December 2024, HCWS342, what her Department's estimated increase in council tax receipts is in 202
Answer: The provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available £69 billion for local government, which is a 3.5% real terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25. An estimated 55% of the increase to CSP is a result of incre...
Answered 23 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax: IncreasesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24234More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has received representations from local authorities on increasing the council tax referendum threshold for councils with Section 114 notices; and what her policy is o
Answer: The Government is currently analysing results of the consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement for 2025-26 including the council tax referendum principles that will be set. The ability for councils in exceptional financial circum...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government Finance: Rural AreasMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24233More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which councils which received Rural Services Delivery Grant in 2024-25 will not receive Recovery Grant in 2025-26.
Answer: The government recognises that there is a long road to recovery ahead.The Recovery Grant is intended to be a short-term, interim measure to lay the groundwork for more fundamental reform from 2026-27 which is part of our longer-term plan to fix the founda...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning: ReformMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24232More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department’s policy paper entitled Planning Reform Working Paper: Development and Nature Recovery, published on 15 December 2024, whether Biodiversity Net G
Answer: The proposals set out in the Development and Nature Recovery Planning Reform Working Paper would not be expected to have a direct impact on the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). They would, however, complement the implementation of BNG in sec...
Answered 23 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ReorganisationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24231More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 4.2.3 of the Devolution White Paper (CP 1218), published on 16 December 2024, at what administrative level social care will be administered in areas w
Answer: Where there is a single tier of local government unitary councils are responsible for delivery of adult social care.
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Public AppointmentsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24230More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 18954 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Public Appointments, for what reason her Department was wit
Answer: Following the decision to appoint new non-executive board members to the Departmental Board, Mo Baines was appointed as Interim Lead Non-Executive Director in October 2024. An open competition for Non-Executive Directors is also underway to bring the Boar...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordUnitary CouncilsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24229More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 January 2025 to Question 20129 on Unitary councils, whether her Department has evidential basis for unitary restructuring what has not been funded by
Answer: The English Devolution White Paper sets out the case for local government reorganisation, which is that there are significant opportunities available to areas from the creation of suitably sized unitary councils. For North Yorkshire Council, established i...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity Ownership FundMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24228More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 6 January 2025, HCWS353, on Community Ownership Fund Round 4, how much funding has been distributed under each of the individual rounds
Answer: In Round 1, over £10 million was awarded to 37 projects. In Round 2, around £22.8m was awarded to 95 projects. In Round 3, around £65.7m was awarded to 190 projects. In Round 4, around £36.2m was awarded to 85 projects.A full breakdown of funding is avail...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24227More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2024 to Question 16948 on Planning Permission, what previous guidance has been provided by (a) her Department and (b) the Planning Inspectora
Answer: No guidance exists which requires that representations advocating a planning call-in or planning recovery be published.
Answered 23 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: Cost EffectivenessMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24226More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question HL3199 on Government department: cost effectiveness, what requirements local authorities will have to make efficiency savin
Answer: The government has committed to a multi-year Spending Review in Spring 2025.The government is committed to pursuing a comprehensive set of reforms for public services to return the local government sector to a sustainable position. This will be done in pa...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordConditions of Employment: Departmental ResponsibilitiesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24225More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 4 of her Department's College of Experts recruitment pack, published in December 2024, whether strengthening and consolidating employment rights is a forma
Answer: Strengthening employment rights is a key priority across Government. The Deputy Prime Minister is the Chair of the Future of Work Cabinet Committee, which is responsible for considering and taking decisions on matters related to the Make Work Pay package ...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24224More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which individual funding streams to local government in 2025-26 are ring-fenced.
Answer: The provisional Settlement for 2025-26 makes available £69 billion for local government, which is a 3.5% real terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25. The consultation on the provisional settlement launched on 18 December 2024 and close...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFreedom of ExpressionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24223More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 January 2025 to Question 20827 on Religious Freedom, what steps the Government is taking to protect freedom of speech in relation to the expression of
Answer: This is a tolerant multi-faith country in which all faiths contribute towards creating a richer society. There are no blasphemy laws in this country and there are no plans to introduce blasphemy laws. This Government will always recognise British citizens...
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDisadvantagedMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24222More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2024 to Question 17826 on Local Government: Disadvantaged, what plans she has to update the 2019 Index of Deprivation.
Answer: The Department is producing an update to the English Indices of Deprivation 2019. Publication is provisionally planned for later this year and will be pre-announced on the GOV.UK website in due course.
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordEnglish Language: EducationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24221More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to promote the English language other than through (a) schemes for people from Ukraine and Hong Kong and (b) English for Speakers of Other Languages traini
Answer: Local authorities signpost new arrivals to English language provision as needed. Government also signposts to English language provision and resources for new arrivals in published guidance. For Afghan arrivals, the Home Office provides local authorities ...
Answered 23 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ElectionsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24220More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's letter to Leaders of all two-tier councils and neighbouring unitary authorities of 16 December 2024, what is the (a) process and (b) timetable
Answer: A number of councils have responded to my letter of 16 December, making requests involving postponement of their May 2025 elections. A list of those councils can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-reorganisation-letter...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Civil ServantsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23877More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2024 to Question 18565 on Recruitment: Location, how many and what proportion of civil servants in her Department are on location-neutral em
Answer: None. Almost all members of staff are on a contract which specifies a particular office in which they are based. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 January 2025 to question 21618 which provided the number of staff assigned to work in each ...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordRight to Buy SchemeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23876More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the full internal Equality Impact Assessment for changes to Right to Buy discounts.
Answer: The government published a review of Right to Buy discounts on 30 October 2024. It can be found on gov.uk here. The review concluded that maximum cash discounts should be reduced to pre-2012 levels of between £16,000 and £38,000 to enable councils to repl...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordRadicalismHome OfficeTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23875More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her definition of non-violent extremism is.
Answer: The Home Office published a definition of extremism in March 2024, under the previous government. There are no current plans to update this definition.Further information can be found on gov.uk:New definition of extremism (2024) - GOV.UKUnder this definit...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23874More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to commence section 113 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023.
Answer: The government set out in its response to the NPPF consultation in December 2024 that we will take the steps necessary to implement build out reporting. This will involve implementing the provisions in section 113 of the Levelling–up and Regeneration Act ...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPermitted Development RightsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23873More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the responses to the consultation entitled Changes to various permitted development rights, which closed on on 9 April 2024.
Answer: The government is reviewing feedback from the consultation on changes to various permitted development rights and will publish a response in due course.
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCouncillors: Data ProtectionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23872More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2024 to Question 16542 on Councillors: Data Protection, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of using a Legislative Reform
Answer: I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 16542 on 5 December 2024. We consider removal of the requirement for councillors’ home addresses to be published is best achieved by primary legislation and intend to legislate at the first availa...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordUnitary CouncilsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23871More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2025 to Question 21478 on Local Government: Correspondence and with reference to the letter of 16 December 2024 to local authority leaders fro
Answer: My department is working closely with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England to ensure that they are involved at the appropriate time to ensure fair electoral arrangements across the area of any new unitary local authorities.
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ConstituenciesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23870More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2025 to Question 21478 on Local Government: Correspondence, and with reference to the letter of 16 December 2024 to local council leaders from
Answer: My letter of 16 December 2024 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-reorganisation-letter-to-two-tier-areas) set out Government’s plans for a joint programme of devolution and local government reorganisation. In this letter I set ou...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: DevolutionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23869More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, what her timetable is for the (a) publication and (b) passage of the English Devolution Bill;
Answer: In the English Devolution White Paper, we committed to introducing the English Devolution Bill in this session, subject to parliamentary time. There is extensive engagement ongoing between my department, mayoral combined authorities, local authorities and...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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