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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 26 January (HL Deb col 715), what assessment they have made of the ability of the 14 remaining areas to deliver local government reorganisation to the proposed timescale of 12 months less time than the six priority areas.

As I set out on 26 January, the remaining 14 local government reorganisation areas do not have 12 months less time than the other areas.

On 5 February 2025, the Government invited two-tier authorities in 21 areas and their neighbouring small unitary authorities to develop proposals for unitary local government. Following the submission of proposals, the Government has since announced two new unitary authorities in Surrey and concluded a statutory consultation on final proposals for a further six areas. Decisions on which proposals, if any, to implement for those six areas will be taken by March 2026. Following elections in 2027, the new unitary councils will go live in 2028.

For the remaining 14 areas, the Government launched a statutory consultation on 5 February, which will close on 26 March. Decisions on which proposals, if any, to implement will then be announced around the time of the Summer Recess in 2026. Following elections in 2027, the new unitary councils will go live in 2028.

My officials are in regular contact with councils to support them to undertake preparatory work to ensure readiness for any transition to new authorities.