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

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement further fiscal devolution.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government has committed to replace grants from central government with a share of local income tax for every mayoral strategic authority from April 2028, and for greater retention of the revenue from business rates for local councils and strategic authorities from April 2027. In addition, all strategic authorities will be provided with the ability to introduce an Overnight Visitor Levy, with mayors able to set out their plans from March 2028. Further details will be set out in a Fiscal Devolution Roadmap, to be published alongside autumn budget. Please refer to the ‘Rewiring the State’ Cabinet Statement (and attached) published on 31 July 2026.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what impact assessment they have undertaken of the effect of local government reorganisation on the financial stability of those local authorities involved.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As set out by the Secretary of State in her oral statement of 7 September, the Government has withdrawn the March 2026 decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and paused activity for 14 areas while a full review of the local government reorganisation programme is conducted. We recognise the need for clarity and will set out next steps as soon as possible.

We keep all aspects of local government finance under review.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government how many judicial reviews relating to local government reorganisation are currently in progress.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Prior to the Secretary of State's oral statement to Parliament on 7 September 2026 on local government reorganisation, six Judicial Review claims had been issued in relation to decisions. The decisions that were the subject of those proceedings have since been withdrawn.

The Department has also received pre-action correspondence in relation to a number of other local government reorganisation decisions.