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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason the Housing Minister determined that local elections should proceed in May 2026; and what factors he considered.

I refer the Rt hon. and hon. Members to the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement of 23 February 2026 (HCWS1349).

It is a longstanding principle that Government does not comment on or publish legal advice. The Government has no plans to publish individual correspondence from councils.

Councils are being supported to deliver elections. The administration and cost of running local elections remain matters for local authorities, with wider costs handled in the usual way.

We are also making available up to £63 million in new capacity funding for reorganisation areas.