Asked by: Flick Drummond (Conservative - Meon Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on engaging with groups with particular protected characteristics covered by the Public Sector Equality Duty when drawing up proposals for a combined authority.
Answered by Andrew Percy
My Department has not issued any such guidance. It is each local authority's own responsibility to ensure it fulfils its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty when making a proposal for a combined authority.
Asked by: Flick Drummond (Conservative - Meon Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on their engagement with local communities when drawing up proposals for a combined authority.
Answered by Andrew Percy
My Department has not issued any such guidance. Statute requires that there must be a public consultation - either by the local authorities themselves or the Secretary of State - on any proposal to establish a combined authority, and before proceeding with an order to implement such a proposal, the Secretary of State must be satisfied that no further consultation is necessary.