Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has given consideration to the interim warding arrangements submission by Lincoln City Council where a councillor representing the proposed Witham St Hughs ward would represent approximately 4,354 electors, whereas a councillor representing the proposed Minster ward would represent approximately 1,849 electors; and if so, what consideration have they given to the tolerance levels of this proposal.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has withdrawn the March 2026 decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and paused activity in the other 14 areas, including Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, while a full review of the local government reorganisation programme is undertaken. We recognise the need for clarity and will set out next steps as soon as possible.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what tolerance levels they will deem reasonable with respect to interim warding arrangements as part of the local government reorganisation structural change order process.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is the independent body responsible for setting electoral arrangements for councils. However, it cannot undertake an electoral review until a new council has been established in law. Where a proposal is implemented, councils are asked to suggest interim electoral arrangements for inclusion in the legislation establishing the new authority. Neither councils nor Ministers have the power to draw new electoral boundaries through this process. Instead, interim arrangements must be based on existing electoral areas, including district wards, county divisions, parishes and parish wards. Councils are expected to have regard to the Commission's published guidance when developing their suggestions, and the Commission offered support to councils undertaking this work earlier in the year.
On 7 September 2026, the Secretary of State announced that implementation of local government reorganisation decisions would be paused in a number of areas while the Government considers next steps for the programme. Proposals for local government reorganisation in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, where no decision has yet been taken, will also be considered as part of that process.
The Secretary of State also set out the expectation that elections scheduled for May 2027 will proceed for existing councils. In light of that position and the review, the Government is not currently progressing work on interim warding arrangements and will set out any future requirements relating to local government reorganisation following consideration of these matters.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance has been issued to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England on the formation of interim warding arrangements as part of the local government reorganisation process.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is the independent body responsible for setting electoral arrangements for councils. However, it cannot undertake an electoral review until a new council has been established in law. Where a proposal is implemented, councils are asked to suggest interim electoral arrangements for inclusion in the legislation establishing the new authority. Neither councils nor Ministers have the power to draw new electoral boundaries through this process. Instead, interim arrangements must be based on existing electoral areas, including district wards, county divisions, parishes and parish wards. Councils are expected to have regard to the Commission's published guidance when developing their suggestions, and the Commission offered support to councils undertaking this work earlier in the year.
On 7 September 2026, the Secretary of State announced that implementation of local government reorganisation decisions would be paused in a number of areas while the Government considers next steps for the programme. Proposals for local government reorganisation in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, where no decision has yet been taken, will also be considered as part of that process.
The Secretary of State also set out the expectation that elections scheduled for May 2027 will proceed for existing councils. In light of that position and the review, the Government is not currently progressing work on interim warding arrangements and will set out any future requirements relating to local government reorganisation following consideration of these matters.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have issued any guidance to local authorities on electorate sizes as part of the local government re-organisation structural change order process; and what guidance has been issued on multi-member warding’s reorganisation.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is the independent body responsible for setting electoral arrangements for councils. However, it cannot undertake an electoral review until a new council has been established in law. Where a proposal is implemented, councils are asked to suggest interim electoral arrangements for inclusion in the legislation establishing the new authority. Neither councils nor Ministers have the power to draw new electoral boundaries through this process. Instead, interim arrangements must be based on existing electoral areas, including district wards, county divisions, parishes and parish wards. Councils are expected to have regard to the Commission's published guidance when developing their suggestions, and the Commission offered support to councils undertaking this work earlier in the year.
On 7 September 2026, the Secretary of State announced that implementation of local government reorganisation decisions would be paused in a number of areas while the Government considers next steps for the programme. Proposals for local government reorganisation in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, where no decision has yet been taken, will also be considered as part of that process.
The Secretary of State also set out the expectation that elections scheduled for May 2027 will proceed for existing councils. In light of that position and the review, the Government is not currently progressing work on interim warding arrangements and will set out any future requirements relating to local government reorganisation following consideration of these matters.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether levels of deprivation should be used as a basis of submitting interim warding arrangements as part of the local government reorganisation process which fall out of the tolerance levels advised by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is the independent body responsible for setting electoral arrangements for councils. However, it cannot undertake an electoral review until a new council has been established in law. Where a proposal is implemented, councils are asked to suggest interim electoral arrangements for inclusion in the legislation establishing the new authority. Neither councils nor Ministers have the power to draw new electoral boundaries through this process. Instead, interim arrangements must be based on existing electoral areas, including district wards, county divisions, parishes and parish wards. Councils are expected to have regard to the Commission's published guidance when developing their suggestions, and the Commission offered support to councils undertaking this work earlier in the year.
On 7 September 2026, the Secretary of State announced that implementation of local government reorganisation decisions would be paused in a number of areas while the Government considers next steps for the programme. Proposals for local government reorganisation in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, where no decision has yet been taken, will also be considered as part of that process.
The Secretary of State also set out the expectation that elections scheduled for May 2027 will proceed for existing councils. In light of that position and the review, the Government is not currently progressing work on interim warding arrangements and will set out any future requirements relating to local government reorganisation following consideration of these matters.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the interim warding arrangements submission by Peterborough City Council where one warding proposal stands 20.8% below the tolerance level set out by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is the independent body responsible for setting electoral arrangements for councils. However, it cannot undertake an electoral review until a new council has been established in law. Where a proposal is implemented, councils are asked to suggest interim electoral arrangements for inclusion in the legislation establishing the new authority. Neither councils nor Ministers have the power to draw new electoral boundaries through this process. Instead, interim arrangements must be based on existing electoral areas, including district wards, county divisions, parishes and parish wards. Councils are expected to have regard to the Commission's published guidance when developing their suggestions, and the Commission offered support to councils undertaking this work earlier in the year.
On 7 September 2026, the Secretary of State announced that implementation of local government reorganisation decisions would be paused in a number of areas while the Government considers next steps for the programme. Proposals for local government reorganisation in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, where no decision has yet been taken, will also be considered as part of that process.
The Secretary of State also set out the expectation that elections scheduled for May 2027 will proceed for existing councils. In light of that position and the review, the Government is not currently progressing work on interim warding arrangements and will set out any future requirements relating to local government reorganisation following consideration of these matters.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what formal advice they have given to local authorities on reducing the number of Councillors for interim warding arrangements for shadow authority elections.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is the independent body responsible for setting electoral arrangements for councils. However, it cannot undertake an electoral review until a new council has been established in law. Where a proposal is implemented, councils are asked to suggest interim electoral arrangements for inclusion in the legislation establishing the new authority. Neither councils nor Ministers have the power to draw new electoral boundaries through this process. Instead, interim arrangements must be based on existing electoral areas, including district wards, county divisions, parishes and parish wards. Councils are expected to have regard to the Commission's published guidance when developing their suggestions, and the Commission offered support to councils undertaking this work earlier in the year.
On 7 September 2026, the Secretary of State announced that implementation of local government reorganisation decisions would be paused in a number of areas while the Government considers next steps for the programme. Proposals for local government reorganisation in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, where no decision has yet been taken, will also be considered as part of that process.
The Secretary of State also set out the expectation that elections scheduled for May 2027 will proceed for existing councils. In light of that position and the review, the Government is not currently progressing work on interim warding arrangements and will set out any future requirements relating to local government reorganisation following consideration of these matters.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will release the first wave of funding for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In March 2025, the government announced a £2 billion down-payment as part of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP). Homes England has already secured over 4,200 starts in 2025/26 through their portion of this.
In August 2026, the government announced initial funding allocations for the SAHP, with £9.58 billion being awarded to 33 Strategic Partners outside London.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether non-mayoral authorities will receive funding from the Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In August 2026, the government announced the initial Strategic Partnership funding allocations for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP).
Across England (excluding London), 33 providers will receive funding totalling £9.58 billion to invest in new social and affordable housing and deliver 73,600 homes. These 33 providers included PRPs and councils. No funding has been allocated directly to Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSA), and whether an area has an MSA was not a factor in decision making.
Established Mayoral Strategic Authority (EMSA) areas outside London are able to set the strategic direction of the Programme in their areas. To support this, we have published an estimate of how many homes and how much funding providers expect to deliver in each of the initial six EMSA areas.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the capacity of statutory responsible officers in local government in light of ongoing local government reorganisation.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In designing its support offer for local government reorganisation, the Department engaged with a range of local government stakeholders to understand how to best support the capacity of statutory officers. In response to that feedback, this year the Department put in place a broad support offer including dedicated sector advisers and a wider programme of support to build capacity and capability in councils led by the Local Government Association. This support will continue to be available to councils during the local government reorganisation review. Depending on the outcome of the review, the Department will consider how to best target future support to statutory officers.