Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government written question – answered at on 9 December 2025.
David Simmonds
Opposition Whip (Commons), Shadow Minister (Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77537 on Hotels: Taxation, and with reference to the written statement of 25 November 2025 on Devolution and Growth, HCWS1097, on what basis this change in policy was made.
Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government keeps all tax policy under review. The government’s number one mission is to kickstart economic growth, and devolving fiscal powers is critical to achieving this.
Introducing a visitor levy provides Mayors with a new lever to both raise and reinvest revenue locally. English Mayors have come together to ask for an overnight stay levy through the “right to request”. The government has considered these representations from Mayors and the three amendments proposed by Wera Hobhouse MP, Paula Barker MP and Alex Mayer MP, to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill in reaching this position. A Written Ministerial Statement setting out this position was published on 25 November.
A visitor levy also responds to the call from Mayors for further fiscal devolution.
Yes1 person thinks so
No0 people think not
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
