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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has he made of the level of (a) positive and (b) negative public reaction in Huntingdonshire to the proposed options for Local Government Reform in Cambridgeshire.

Councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are due to submit their final proposals for unitary local councils by 28 November. We understand the importance of communities having their say and have been clear on the importance of councils engaging with local residents and organisations as they develop their proposals.

The Government will launch a statutory consultation before deciding which proposal, if any, to implement. I anticipate this will be launched in the New Year. It would be inappropriate for Ministers to comment at this stage or give a view on specific unitary proposals, or to pre-empt future decisions under the statutory process.