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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the postponement or delay of the 2025 Basildon Borough Council elections was discussed during the meeting between Baroness Taylor and Basildon Borough Council councillors or officials during her visit to Basildon on Friday 12 December.

As would be expected, topics relating to local government reorganisation were raised with the Minister, including 2026 elections.

We have invited Basildon Borough Council and other councils undergoing local government reorganisation 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. This is a locally led approach. Councils are best placed to judge their local capacity and we will consider representations carefully.