Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the views of town councils and rural and urban district councils are taken into account as the UK defines its stance for negotiation with the EU.

Ministers have engaged with elected leaders and officials from local councils across the UK and intend to continue this work throughout the exit process. The Department for Exiting the European Union and the Department for Communities and Local Government are working closely with the Local Government Association and regional partners to understand issues related to exit and identify any regional implications.

The former Minister of State (David Jones, the Rt Hon Member for Clwyd West) held a meeting of the Local Government Associations for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in February 2017. Further engagement with local government stakeholders is planned in the coming weeks.