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 her Oral Statement of 7 September 2026 on Local Government Reorganisation, Official Report, columns 667-669, whether her Department substantively responded in court to the judicial reviews on local government restructuring, or whether she has decided to concede the case before the duty of candour on providing documents to the claimants commenced.

Prior to the Secretary of State's oral statement to Parliament on 7 September 2026 on local government reorganisation, six Judicial Review claims had been issued in relation to decisions. The decisions that were the subject of those proceedings have since been withdrawn. It is a longstanding principle that the Government does not publish or comment on legal advice.

I set out the latest position on local government reorganisation to Parliament in my oral statement of 29 October.