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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to introduce legislation to restore the power of local authorities in England to suspend councillors for serious breaches of the code of conduct.

The Government published last November its response to a consultation on a whole system reform of the standards framework and set out our commitment to legislate. Proposals for reform include the introduction of powers to suspend councillors for serious code of conduct breaches.

The Government will legislate on these reforms when Parliamentary time allows.