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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to seek the approval of local councils before establishing new (a) foundation strategic authorities, (b) mayoral strategic authorities and (c) established mayoral strategic authorities; and whether she plans to introduce secondary legislation to implement these proposals.

The Government has announced its intention to introduce new Mayoral Combined Authorities and Mayoral Combined County Authorities with elections in May 2026. This will require the consent of all constituent local authorities involved, using the processes set out in the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. These areas, and other new and existing devolved institutions in England, will be designated as Strategic Authorities when the English Devolution Bill comes into force. The government is fully committed to working in partnership with councils to bring about devolution by establishing new strategic authorities, and to creating a clear pathway to accessing higher levels of devolution, including Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities. We will set out in the English Devolution Bill more detail on how we will seek the consent of constituent councils under this new legislation, which will be laid in this Parliamentary session.