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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer by the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution of 15 January 2025 on Local Government Reorganisation, Official Report, column 344, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of splitting county councils into unitary councils on social care provision.

The case for unitarisation in the English Devolution White Paper set out the opportunities available to areas for local government reorganisation. We will prioritise the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services to citizens and communities above all other issues. Unitary councils bring lower and upper tier services together, creating opportunities for service transformation which can support improvements in delivery. The potential impact of local government reorganisation on individual areas will be a matter for local councils to consider as they develop their proposals for reorganisation. I intend to ask areas for interim plans by March 2025, and for full proposals to be submitted to government later in the year.