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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the costs, savings and net impact on the public purse of proposed local government reorganisation for Hampshire in each of the next five years.

The Plan for Change set out the government’s aim to build empowered, simplified, resilient and sustainable local government that will increase value for money for council taxpayers and enable more funding to be spent on local public services.

The statutory consultation for local government reorganisation in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton is now open, in accordance with the requirements of the legislation, and will close on 11 January. Once this statutory consultation is concluded, Ministers will decide, subject to Parliamentary approval, which, if any, proposal is to be implemented, with or without modification.

In taking these decisions, Ministers will judge proposals in the round against the criteria, including the criteria which specifies that efficiencies should be identified to help improve councils’ finances and make sure that council taxpayers are getting the best possible value for their money.