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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2024 to Question 17829 on Combined Authorities, what guidance her Department has issued on whether a two-tier area currently with a county council and district councils will (a) form a combined authority for that county area or (b) be merged with another county area to form a combined authority.

The English Devolution White Papper states that for areas with two tiers of local government, before moving to a single tier, the government will establish Combined County Authorities but not Combined Authorities. Also, that we will legislate to ensure that Strategic Authorities can change structure should local government reorganisation take place, for example, changing from a Combined County Authority to a Combined Authority when a two-tier area becomes single-tier.