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 statement on Local Government Reorganisation of 7 September 2026, what factors, other than legal advice received as part of the judicial review process, contributed to the decision to withdraw the decision on local government reorganisation in Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock.

On 7 September 2026, the Secretary of State announced that decisions taken for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk would be withdrawn and that implementation of other local government reorganisation decisions would be paused while the Government considers next steps.

It is a longstanding principle that the Government does not comment on or publish legal advice. The Government does not routinely publish correspondence relating to ministerial decision-making.