David Simmonds MP: written questions
457 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Asylum: FinanceHome OfficeTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6855More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of 16 April 2026 to Question 125400, on Asylum: Finance, whether it is her Department's policy that some of the costs of asylum seekers should be met from council taxpayer
Answer: The Asylum Dispersal Grant supports local authorities with a contribution to the costs and pressures of accommodating asylum seekers across all eligible accommodation types in their area. The grant is not intended to meet full costs, but to provide a cont...
Answered 12 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordHome Office: Public ConsultationHome OfficeTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6854More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy of on considering written representations to its consultations or calls for evidence from an individual or organisation subject to a policy of non-engagement under the 202
Answer: It is up to each department to carry out due diligence when choosing to engage with any organisation or individual and, if asked, we will advise and share information to help others inform their decisions. As announced in the Protecting What Matters publi...
Answered 19 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HillingdonHome OfficeTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6853More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2026 to Question 441 on Asylum: Hillingdon, how much funding is being allocated to Hillingdon for 2026-27.
Answer: The Cabinet Office publish annual grant funding data (Government Grants Data and Statistics) where you can find details of grant levels by local authority area broken down per year once available. The Home Office does not publish any additional informatio...
Answered 12 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax: ValuationTreasuryTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 460More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 118523 on Council Tax: Valuation, whether new DwellingHouseCodes were added by the Valuation Office to assist the council tax revaluation in Wales.
Answer: For the Council Tax revaluation in Wales, the Valuation Office has not collected additional DwellingHouse Codes over and above those already used within England and Wales.
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordKing Charles III: ArtworksCabinet OfficeTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 459More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the London Borough of Tower Hamlets accepted the free portrait of the Sovereign offered by the Cabinet Office to all local authorities.
Answer: I refer the Honourable Member to the information published on GOV.UK on 28 November 2024 which provided a summary of the His Majesty The King Official Portrait Scheme, including the number of portraits provided and the total cost of the scheme: https://ww...
Answered 19 May 2026
Original Parliament recordTravellers: Caravan SitesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 458More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether (a) planning applications for traveller sites and (b) retrospective planning permission for unauthorised sites will be a matter for a Planning Committee.
Answer: Between 26 March and 23 April 2026, the government consulted on the draft Regulations and guidance underpinning the government’s planning committee reforms from the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here.We are ...
Answered 18 May 2026
Original Parliament recordLicensing LawsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 457More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to the press release, Red tape slashed to revamp high streets with new cafes and bars, of 26 July 2025, whether (a) combined authority mayors and (b) the Greater London A
Answer: Through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, the Government has conferred new licensing functions on the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority. This is to enable a more coherent, city-wide approach to licensing decisions a...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordTower Hamlets CouncilMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 456More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to the High Court Consent Order in relation to Nair v London Borough of Tower Hamlets of March 2024, whether Ministerial Envoys in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets hav
Answer: Ministerial Envoys do not take, or assess the impact of, individual funding and regulatory decisions by the authority; the responsibility for which remains with the Council. As part of the statutory intervention in Tower Hamlets, the Envoys are supporting...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordPolitical Parties: FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 455More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how the proposed ban on crypto-donations and overseas donations over £100,000 will apply to hon. Members.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 124668 on 20 April 2026.
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordCouncil TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 454More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the new unitary councils will be required to give 12 months notice to apply the second homes or empty homes council tax premium in their unitary council area, if (a) some
Answer: Restructured councils must make a determination to introduce the second homes premium at least 12 months before the financial year in which it will be charged in a predecessor area for the first time. The government has recently made The Local Government ...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordCouncil TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 453More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's Council tax information letter 3/2026 published on 15 April 2026, whether a new burdens payment will be made to local authorities further to th
Answer: The government, in its response to the council tax administration consultation, committed to conduct a New Burdens assessment to ensure changes are appropriately funded. The published response can be found here.
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: ExpenditureDepartment for EducationTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 452More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the publication MHCLG: spending over £25,000, January 2026, published on 25 February 2026, what the spending on transaction CFO & Corporate Coram (Thomas Coram Foundation), Ref: 5105609031, fo
Answer: The Thomas Coram Foundation research contract was commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of the Supporting Families programme in 2023. When the programme moved to the Department for Education (DfE) as par...
Answered 20 May 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal GovernmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 451More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has published any guidance on the operation of Section 9I of the Localism Act 2011.
Answer: Section 9I is a provision of the Local Government Act 2000. The Department has not published specific guidance on this provision.
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordTower Hamlets CouncilMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 450More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Ministerial Envoys to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets have reviewed the council's 2025-26 expenditure and procurement of the Mosque Engagement Programme.
Answer: Ministerial Envoys do not take, or assess the impact of, individual funding and regulatory decisions by the authority; the responsibility for which remains with the Council. As part of the statutory intervention in Tower Hamlets, the Envoys are supporting...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordCouncil Tax: Greater LondonMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 449More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether guidance has been given to the London Assembly on whether Assembly Members in council tax arrears may vote on the setting of the Greater London Authority’s council tax pr
Answer: No specific government guidance has been issued to the London Assembly in relation to whether Assembly Members in council tax arrears may vote on council tax requirements arising from the Mayor of London’s annual budget proposals.
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordMayors: Public AppointmentsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 448More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the statutory guidance entitled Appointing mayoral commissioners and setting/reporting allowances, 16 April 2026, paragraph 75, who determines whether a Commiss
Answer: The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act provides Overview and Scrutiny Committees in Mayoral Combined Authorities and Mayoral Combined County Authorities (known as Local Scrutiny Committees) with the power to impose a civil penalty on a perso...
Answered 19 May 2026
Original Parliament recordRecreation SpacesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 447More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the speech of Baroness Taylor of Stevenage of 13 April 2026, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 121, for what reason the review is now an internal review;
Answer: The Government’s commitment has consistently been to review existing statutory protections rather than to conduct a consultation. The review will involve gathering evidence from a wide range of sources and stakeholders in a targeted and proportionate way.
Answered 19 May 2026
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Departmental ResponsibilitiesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 446More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 7 January 2026 to Question 97134 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Departmental Responsibilities, for what reason the Secr
Answer: At the events on 28 October and 24 November the Secretary of State spoke about the overall government approach to housing. No other departmental business was discussed. As these were party political events, it would not be appropriate for the Department t...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordTravellers: Caravan SitesHome OfficeTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 445More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of 21 April 2026 to Question 126747 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, if she will publish the Public Sector Equality Duty assessment.
Answer: The Government takes all necessary steps to ensure that legislation is developed in line with its statutory obligations, including the Public Sector Equality Duty.Equality impacts were considered as part of the development of the amendment to police power...
Answered 18 May 2026
Original Parliament recordHome Office: GreenpeaceHome OfficeTabled 13 May 2026WithdrawnUIN 444More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of 27 April 2026, to Question 126743, on Home Office: Greenpeace, when the Home Office last engaged with Greenpeace; and whether it is subject to a formal policy of non-en
Answer: No published answer in this record yet.
Original Parliament recordHome Office: GreenpeaceHome OfficeTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 443More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of 27 April 2026, to Question 126743, on Home Office: Greenpeace, when the Home Office last engaged with Greenpeace; and whether it is subject to a formal policy of non-en
Answer: There is no standing policy of non-engagement with Greenpeace. Ministerial engagements with external stakeholders are published and available online. Home Office: ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings - GOV.UK
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government Finance: West SurreyMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 442More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Surrey County Council paper, "Implementation Programme Update Report, Annex 3 – Draft Illustrative Financial Baseline", of April 2026, what assessment has h
Answer: Multi-year allocations for all councils, including those which have been invited to undergo reorganisation, were set out in the final Local Government Finance Settlement. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced r...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: HillingdonHome OfficeTabled 13 May 2026AnsweredUIN 441More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of 21 April 2026, to Question 126742, on Asylum: Hillingdon, how much was provided to Hillingdon in 2025-26 for asylum grant funding.
Answer: The Cabinet Office publish annual grant funding data (Government Grants Data and Statistics) where you can find details of grant levels by local authority area broken down per year. The Home Office does not publish any additional information.
Answered 19 May 2026
Original Parliament recordAsylum: Short-term Holding FacilitiesHome OfficeTabled 16 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127893More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure asylum seekers are securely dispersed from short-term holding facilities when those facilities reach capacity.
Answer: The Home Office has a statutory obligation to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute by providing appropriate support which usually includes accommodation.Accommodation Plans consider a range of suitability factors for dispersal in each L...
Answered 23 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: MeetingsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 127610More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued governance guidance to local authorities on whether a sitting Chairman or civic Mayor can preside over, and participate in, a Full Council debat
Answer: Local authority governance arrangements are a matter for councils themselves, operating within the statutory framework set by the Local Government Act 1972.
Answered 23 Apr 2026
Original Parliament record
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