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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of a devolution deal for Cornwall that does not involve any other regions or counties in the South West.

This Government strongly believes that the benefits of devolution are best achieved through the establishment of combined authorities or combined county authorities over sensible economic geographies and supported by a mayor. This follows our minded-to decision in September to progress a non-mayoral deal with Cornwall Council as a first step towards deeper devolution subject to local agreement.