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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local authorities work with other public bodies to house their offices in public sector buildings and hubs; and if he will make a statement.

The Department does not collect data on which local authorities work with other public bodies to house their offices. However, we encourage all authorities to make the best use of their assets to save money and provide collaborative services by sharing of premises.

In November 2014, we announced a further tranche of £89.4 million Transformation Challenge Award funding for 2015-16. The successful bids included local authorities sharing buildings as well as services with public sector partners, such as Charnwood Borough Council’s co-locating its customer service office with Jobcentre Plus and Leicestershire County Council. This will provide customers with a one-stop jobs and benefits service and annual accommodation savings of some £440,000.

My Department is also encouraging and supporting collaboration through the £75 million Fire Service Transformation Fund. Out of the 37 winning bids, 31 of those bids are for collaboration-type activities with other emergency services, including through sharing stations and services.

The One Public Estate programme, jointly run by Cabinet Office and the Local Government Association, supports collaboration across central and local government and the wider public sector on asset management. Across the programme over 40 co-location opportunities are being taken forward. For example Hampshire County Council, fire and rescue service and Police Force have an integrated (shared services) business centre and shared facilities at Alresford, Stockbridge and Redbridge fire stations. Two of these locations are also used as ambulance standby points, making them emergency service ‘blue light hubs’. Following last week’s Budget announcement of £6 million to extend the programme, we would expect this to support an increase in co-location opportunities over the Parliament.