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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities in England have allowed staff-led mutuals to run services; and if he will make a statement.

This data is not held centrally.

Information from the Community Rights Support Programme suggests that 30 groups of local authority employees have been helped to explore use of the Community Right to Challenge to help them mutualise a service and 10 local authorities have been provided with advice on the issue.

The Cabinet Office has engaged with around 200 emerging and established public service mutuals across multiple sectors, ranging from social care and integrated health to libraries and youth services. Over 100 are live and trading, employing more than 35,000 people and delivering well over £1.5 billion of public services. In England today there are now over 100 live public services mutuals, employing more than 35,000 people and delivering well over £1.5 billion worth of services.

The Local Government Association carries out research for the local government sector on workforce matters. The latest Local Government Association’s Workforce Survey for 2012/13 includes information collected on staff–led organisations and can be found at:

http://www.local.gov.uk/research-pay-and-workforce/-/journal_content/56/10180/6033972/ARTICLE