Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the impact of returning to in-person council meetings on (a) the conduct of council business and (b) attendance at meetings by councillors and members of the public.

The Department has not carried out any assessment of the impact of returning to in-person council meetings.  The Local Government Act 1972 specifies that council meetings must take place in person at a single, specified, geographical location, and being 'present' at such a meeting involves physical presence at that location.