Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of local government reorganisation in Devon on the governance and independence of Dartmoor National Park Authority; and what steps she will take to ensure that the Authority remains independent.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) programme for local government reorganisation will introduce changes to the local authorities responsible for providing board members for multiple National Parks in England, as laid out in legislation.

Defra is engaging closely with MHCLG to assess the impact of these changes and exploring options where changes may alter the local authority composition of the National Park Boards. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) programme for local government reorganisation will introduce changes to the local authorities responsible for providing board members for multiple National Parks in England, as laid out in legislation.