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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of (a) the Makerfield Parliamentary by-election and (b) Parliamentary by-elections in general; and what information his Department holds on the cost of (i) the Greater Manchester mayoralty by-election and (ii) combined authority mayoral by-elections in general.

The estimated costs of parliamentary by-elections, including the Makerfield parliamentary by-election, are set out in the relevant schedule of The Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers’ Charges) Order 2024.

Local elections, including the costs of mayoral elections are met by local authorities and are not held centrally, with each authority responsible for managing and retaining its own election cost data. The Government is therefore unable to provide this information.