Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 26 February 2018 HCWS486 on Local Government Policy, if he will place in the library a copy of the evidence which satisfied him that local government and service delivery will be improved in Christchurch as a result of his decision.

It was on the basis of all the relevant material available to the Secretary of State that he was satisfied that the two new unitary councils are likely to improve local government and service delivery in their areas, and that across Dorset as a whole there is a good deal of support for these councils.

This material comprised the information submitted to the Secretary of State by Dorset Councils which is available on www.futuredorset.co.uk, the representations he received from Dorset Councils between 7 November 2017 and 8 January 2018, which we are placing in the Library of the House further to the answer on 1 March 2018 of Question UIN 129890, and all the other representations and information which the Secretary of State has received which will now be placed in the Library of the House.