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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to ensure that candidates standing in combined authority elections are not also responsible for (a) setting up and (b) overseeing those authorities.

Under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, all local authorities who are to be constituent members of a combined authority must consent to the combined authority’s establishment. This does not disqualify any constituent local authority members from running for the office of mayor in the combined authority.

Please be assured that, in the case where the winning candidate in the election to role of mayor is also already a sitting councillor of a constituent authority, under Schedule 5B paragraph 7 of the 2009 Act, their council seat is automatically rendered vacant and regular by-election requirements for the council seat occur as normal.