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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will participate in a conference with the Local Government Association and others on the issues raised in the Third Report of the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, Session 2012-13 Prospects for codifying the relationship between central and local government, HC 656.

In the first instance, I refer the hon. Member to the Government Response to the Committee Report (CM 8623). The Government supported further localism and decentralisation, but disagreed with the suggestions of a statutory code, imposing new taxes or making changes to the Parliament Act.

Ministers consider invitations as they are received, subject to Ministerial and other diary commitments.