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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, by when he plans to have made a decision on which Local Government Reform option to choose for Cambridgeshire.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 60179 on 19 June 2025 and to Question UIN 62328 on 30 June 2025.

Councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are due to submit their final proposals for local government reorganisation by 28 November. The government will then launch a statutory consultation before deciding which, if any, to implement. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the criteria in the statutory guidance, the consultation responses received and all other relevant information.

The exact timings will depend on the proposals received and the decision taken on which proposal, if any, to implement. It is anticipated that a consultation could be launched in the New Year with decisions on which proposal to implement potentially announced before the summer recess to allow the legislation to be made which, subject to Parliamentary approval, would allow for elections to the new unitary authorities on 6 May 2027 with the new authorities going live on 1 April 2028.