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 3 December 2024 to Question 15932 on Council of the Nations and Regions, for what reason council (a) leaders and (b) mayors were not invited.

The local government membership of the Council of the Nations and Regions is composed of the directly elected Mayors of combined authorities, combined county authorities, and the Mayor of London. New Mayors established through the English devolution process would also be eligible to sit on the Council of the Nations and Regions. The Government is committed to working productively with local government and has established the Leaders Council to bring together other local government leaders and Ministers to identify and tackle the strategic challenges facing local government.