Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will extend the date by which local authorities in England can hold their AGMs to 31 July 2021 so that they have the opportunity to hold those meetings in person after the proposed end of covid-19 lockdown restrictions in June 2021.

The Government keeps all policy under review. However, to extend the timeframe by which annual meetings are held would require primary legislation.

We have received representations from local authorities and sector representative organisations making the case for the continuation of remote meetings beyond 7 May 2021 and are carefully considering next steps in this area.