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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that local government reorganisation will not undermine progress made in improving healthcare outcomes in (a) Torbay and (b) other areas.

The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain, to ensure people can live well for longer, and spend less time in ill health, regardless of where they are born or their financial circumstances.

As set out in the English Devolution White Paper, government recognises the benefits that aligned geographical boundaries can have for improving co-ordination between public services. Within Integrated Care Systems, collaboration between local government and health partners is crucial to the delivery of high quality and efficient services for communities and patients.

On 5 February 2025 I formally invited unitary proposals from all the councils in two tier areas and their neighbouring small unitaries, including Torbay Council. It is for councils to develop robust and sustainable proposals that are in the best interests of their whole area. As set out in the published statutory guidance, unitary structures must prioritise the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services to citizens, and the views of other public sector providers will be crucial to understanding the best way to structure local government.

Following submission of proposals to government, we will consider proposals carefully before taking decisions on how to proceed. Ministers regularly have meetings with colleagues across government.