This consultation seeks views on the implementation of measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023. It focuses on the detail of a licensing regime and National Supported Housing Standards and includes content on Housing Benefit.

The Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act, which secured Royal Assent on 29 June 2023, gives the Secretary of State powers to introduce a licensing regime for supported housing, and the power to set National Supported Housing Standards for England. It places a duty on local housing authorities to produce supported housing strategies to understand current availability and future need for supported housing.

This consultation seeks views on how government will implement the measures and inform the drafting of regulations and accompanying guidance. It will also inform work by the Department for Work and Pensions on linking licensing to entitlement to claim Housing Benefit in England and any opportunities to link to existing frameworks in Scotland and Wales. It also includes work to define care, support and supervision in Housing Benefit regulations for Great Britain. 

The consultation can be found here. 

The deadline for responses is 15 May 2025.

In 2024 the Scottish Parliament passed the now Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act, which for the first time gave local authorities the power to introduce a visitor levy on overnight accommodation in their area. As the Act was being considered by Parliament, calls were made for a similar levy power to be given to local authorities in relation to cruise ship passengers.

The Scottish Government has therefore committed to exploring such a levy, and this consultation is the latest part of that work. They have already held roundtable events to hear the views of the cruise ship industry, local government, and others. They want to continue the helpful dialogue begun at those events, and explore further what a cruise ship levy could mean in a Scottish context.

They want to hear from those with views and knowledge in this area, including local authorities, those involved with the cruise ship sector, ports, island communities, those involved with tourism and others, including businesses large and small.

The consultation could be found at https://consult.gov.scot/local-government-and-communities/cruise-ship-levy-scotland/

Closing date for responses is 30 May 2025.

This consultation sets out plans and proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support. This Green Paper is an important staging post on a journey of reform, building on the vision and approach set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper in November 2024. It sets out their vision, strategy and proposals for change.

The Department for Work and Pensions want to improve and refine their plans by consulting on certain measures as described within this paper.

The consultation can be found at  https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=43870569-74d5-4bec-aa32-9273846a5272&utm_content=daily

Closing date for responses is 11:59pm on 30 June 2025.

An important part of the non-domestic rates system is regular revaluations of all properties in the tax-base. Revaluations are carried out to maintain fairness, by ensuring the liabilities of ratepayers are updated to reflect changes in the property market.

At the heart of the Welsh Government’s non-domestic rates reforms is a move to more frequent revaluations. The Local Government Finance (Wales) Act 2024 provides for revaluations to occur every three years, from 1 April 2026 onwards.

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language seeks views from various organisations on the future of non-domestic rates transitional relief. See: NDR-Future-of-TR-Stakeholder-Letter-ENG.pdf or NDR-Future-of-TR-Stakeholder-Letter-CYM.pdf.

Closing date for responses is 31 May 2025.

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language, Mark Drakeford MS, has launched a consultation on the Welsh Government’s proposals to address the avoidance of non-domestic rates, from 1 April 2026.

The consultation sets out the Welsh Government’s proposals and asks for views. They are consulting on proposals for regulations to:

• define a range of artificial avoidance arrangements, giving effect to the general anti-avoidance framework we have established
• create a duty for ratepayers to report certain changes of circumstances to billing authorities

 The consultation can be found at https://www.gov.wales/measures-address-avoidance-non-domestic-rates

Closing date for responses is 30 June 2025.

This consultation seeks views on the approach to delivering a business rates reset, updating government’s assessment of how much business rates are available through updating business rates baselines.

It follows on from the information set out in the December 2024 consultation on Local authority funding reform: objectives and principles, and covers the approach to a reset, proposed methodology for calculating business rates baselines – including the use and availability of data – and invites views on the possible equalities impacts of these proposals.

A summary of the proposals in the consultation is set out at Chapter 4. A glossary is available at Annex C for defined technical terms used in this consultation.

To enable us to develop a robust approach to the 2026 business rates reset, please provide explanation and supporting evidence for your answers where possible.

The consultation can be found at Local authority funding reform – Resetting the business rates retention system - GOV.UK

Closing date for responses is 11:59pm on 2 June 2025.