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, how many (a) written and (b) oral representations he received between 7 November 2017 and 8 January 2018 on Local Government reorganisation in Dorset; and how many of those representations were (a) against the abolition of Christchurch Borough Council and (b) in favour of the abolition of Christchurch Borough Council.

Of the 210 written representations made between 7 November 2017 and 8 January 2018 on local government reorganisation in Dorset, 96 were supportive of the proposal, comprising 29 from members of the public and 67 from others including businesses, public bodies and parish councils, 15 were neutral, and 99 were opposed, comprising 62 from members of the public and 37 from others. The Secretary of State has also had conversations on local government reorganisation in Dorset with Honourable and Right Honourable Friends.