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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward proposals to permit virtual meetings of (a) local authorities, (b) parish councils and (c) other public bodies on a permanent basis.

Government wants to ensure that local government is modern, efficient, flexible and diverse, and we are keen to break down barriers that prevent people from seeking to serve their communities. Allowing hybrid meetings could be a helpful step in doing that and we are keen to work with the sector to have an evidence based discussion about its merits.