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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer given to Question UIN 106227 on 9 February 2026, what assessment he has made of whether the cost of restructuring councils is an indicator of the cost effectiveness of providing public services in (a) unitary and (b) two-tier councils.

The Government recognises that restructuring will involve some upfront costs, but experience from previous reorganisations shows that creating strong, sustainable unitary councils delivers long‑term savings and efficiencies.

By reducing duplication, cutting waste and saving back‑office money, unitarisation enables councils to reinvest resources into frontline public services, meaning better outcomes for local residents and better value for money for taxpayers. Exact costs and savings will vary depending on the area and the final decisions on which proposals, if any, are implemented.