Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 101 of the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, whether she plans to postpone local authority elections in Kent in 2025.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I will consider any requests I receive to postpone the May 2025 local authority elections in Kent and Warwickshire only where this will help the areas to deliver both reorganisation and devolution to the most ambitious timeframe – either through the Devolution Priority Programme or where reorganisation is necessary to unlock devolution or open up new devolution options. As I set out in my letter of 16 December to those councils, I will need a clear commitment to these aims, including a request from the council(s) whose election is to be postponed, on or before Friday 10 January.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2024 to Question 4498 on Unitary Councils: Kent, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of splitting Kent County Council into a number of smaller unitary authorities.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The upcoming English Devolution White Paper will set out more detail on the government’s reorganisation plans, including on working with councils to move to simpler structures that make sense for their local areas, with efficiency savings from council reorganisation helping to meet the needs of local people.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she has taken to rejuvenate town centres.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We are committed to supporting the businesses and communities that make our high streets flourish.
We are funding new partnership models with High Street Accelerators, implementing High Street Rental Auctions, and introducing a strong new ‘right to buy’ for community assets, to empower local communities to rejuvenate our high streets and address the blight of vacant premises.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department has obtained to inform a potential future decision on whether to break Kent County Council into a small number of unitary authorities.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The department has not obtained such information.