Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the minutes for any meetings held on Greater Essex's shadow elections scheduled for 2027.

The Government received four reorganisation proposals from Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock councils on 26 September 2025. On 19 November 2025, we launched a consultation on these proposals which will run for seven weeks until 11 January 2026.

A decision, on which, if any, proposal to implement will follow the closure of the consultation

The Government will work with areas to hold elections for new unitary councils as soon as possible as is the usual arrangement for local government reorganisation. Our desire is that elections will be held to new councils in May 2027 ahead of “go live” for the new structures in 2028.