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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether their Department has issued guidance to Local Authorities regarding the procurement or negotiation of insurance policies for Community Councils, specifically in relation to the exclusion of Judicial Review defence costs.

Community Councils in Scotland are statutory bodies established under devolved Scottish legislation, and responsibility for their governance, funding arrangements and related guidance rests with the Scottish Government and Scottish local authorities.

As these matters are devolved, my Department has not made any assessment of the adequacy of insurance provision for Community Councils in Scotland, including in relation to the costs of defending Judicial Review proceedings. The Department has not issued any guidance to local authorities in Scotland on these matters, nor does it have plans to develop pooled insurance, indemnity or shared-risk arrangements for Community Councils in Scotland.