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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delaying elections on the timing of his decision on the composition of the new councils in Essex.

In reaching his decisions on 2026 elections, as set out to the House on 22 January 2026, the Secretary of State adopted a locally led approach and carefully considered all the representations made.

The consultation on the final proposals for Essex, Southend‑on‑Sea and Thurrock closed on 11 January. We will now assess the proposals against the criteria in the invitation and decide, subject to parliamentary approval, which, if any, proposals are to be implemented, with or without modification. The postponement of some May 2026 elections does not affect the timing of these decisions, and the indicative timetable for local government reorganisation remains unchanged.