questionText: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HM Treasury’s press release entitled Fairer taxes for high value homes, published on 20 May 2026, what estimate she has made of the number of households in (a) Basildon, (b) Thurrock, and (c) Essex expected to pay higher taxes as a result of the proposed reforms.
answerText: Fewer than 1% of all properties across England will be affected by the High Value Council Tax surcharge. The Valuation Office will undertake a targeted valuation exercise to identify properties within scope.
heading: Housing: Taxation