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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to (a) allow the establishment of new precepting (i) parish, (ii) town and (iii) community councils and (b) (A) retain and (B) improve the Community Governance Review process.

The ability to establish new parish, town and community councils is devolved to principal local authorities through the community governance review process. This remains the case. Areas considering new parish councils should think carefully about how they might be funded, to avoid putting further pressure on local authority finances and/or new burdens on the taxpayer

Decisions over whether to raise a precept, and over the level of this precept, are taken independently of central government by the parish council in question.

The government views the current process for undertaking community governance reviews as sufficient. We are in regular contact with the sector to understand what improvements would be helpful.