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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter from the Minister for Local Government and Homelessness to Leaders of councils with elections in May 2026 where proposals for reorganisation have been submitted and decisions not yet taken, dated 18 December 2025, whether he consulted the Electoral Commission before his Department wrote to council leaders asking if they wanted their elections in May 2026 to be cancelled.

On 18 December councils undergoing local government reorganisation were invited to set out their views on the postponement of their local election and if they consider this could release essential capacity to deliver local government reorganisation.

As is standard for decisions of this nature, the Secretary of State had discussions with relevant colleagues in Government.

We will consider all the representations we receive, including any from the Electoral Commission.

Nine local elections in 2025 were postponed and the rationale for that decision has been set out to the House, including in the Explanatory Memorandum that accompanies the Order that changed the year of elections.