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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his Department's press release entitled Councils granted flexibility to finish reorganisation published on 22 January 2026, how many councils had a request for postponing elections denied.

I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State’s statement on 22 January 2026. Many councils gave the view that their elections should go ahead, and many asked us to consider postponing. Some councils did not seek postponement, and two did not provide sufficient evidence to support a postponement decision. Prior to reaching his decisions, the Secretary of State wrote to the leaders of Essex County Council, Norfolk County Council, Oxford City Council and Southampton City Council in relation to their position on 2026 local elections. These letters are published on gov.uk.