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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will consider the potential merits of conducting economic modeling of the organisational transition costs arising from local government reorganisation in Surrey.

The East Surrey and West Surrey Joint Committees, established by the Surrey (Structural Changes) Order 2026, are required to prepare an Implementation Plan. Following the election of members in May the shadow East Surrey and West Surrey Councils must then keep under review that Implementation Plan.

The Implementation Plan will include the budgeted transition costs and how these are to be met. We have also announced up to £63 million additional funding to support councils through reorganisation.