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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much a) her department and b) the Treasury has spent on local government reorganisation since July 2024.

The Government has provided funding to support local government reorganisation, including £7.6 million to support the development of proposals and £63 million in transition funding for councils across the 21 reorganisation areas. As part of the recently announced pause, we will consider council costs and how to support areas through the next stage of the process.

In addition to the non-financial benefits of reorganisation, experience from previous local government reorganisations shows that, while there are upfront implementation costs, unitary councils can be more efficient, reduce duplication and deliver savings over time. For example, North Yorkshire Council has reported around £90 million of savings since its establishment in April 2023.