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 Local Government Boundary Commission for England, Electoral Reviews: Technical Guidance, updated June 2023, if she will make it her policy to ensure that any new wards or divisions created through unitary local government restructure do not have an electoral imbalance of more than 10% from the average ratio for that new unitary authority.

On 29 October, the Government announced that the first phase of its review of local government reorganisation had concluded. The review confirmed that the basis of the programme remains robust and that the existing criteria continue to support the Government’s priorities.

The Government has set out minded-to positions in five areas, which remain subject to further representations and final decisions. The remaining 15 areas require further consideration.

Subject to final decisions, elections to new councils will take place in May 2028, followed by vesting on 1 April 2029 across the programme, apart from Surrey.

The Government continues to engage with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England on matters relating to local government reorganisation and electoral arrangements and will continue to do so as the programme progresses.