Local Government Reorganisation

Damian Hinds Excerpts
Monday 13th July 2026

(4 weeks, 2 days ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alison McGovern Portrait Alison McGovern
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There is obviously a limit to what I can say, given that the decision will be reported to Parliament later in the week. Perhaps we can come back to this issue then, but I am very happy to say that I have met with Lord Vallance and work very closely with him.

Damian Hinds Portrait Damian Hinds (East Hampshire) (Con)
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The Government’s proposed carve-up of Hampshire ignores their preset criteria, has no mandate and splits up East Hampshire. The benefits, if there are any, will come way off in the future, whereas the costs and the disruption happen now. Does the Minister think that the advent of a new Prime Minister is a good moment to stop in its tracks something that would otherwise make his fiscal task harder?

Alison McGovern Portrait Alison McGovern
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I do not, because councils have worked extremely hard to follow the timetable that we have set out, and I think it would be a mistake to interrupt that. Councils’ costs have spiked terribly in recent years because of central Government failure. We are putting that right.