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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with Isle of Wight Council on (a) local government reorganisation and (b) devolution.

At the start of February I was pleased to confirm Hampshire and the Solent’s place on the Devolution Priority Programme. Since then both I and Baroness Taylor have met with leaders from the Isle of Wight Council and their neighbours to discuss both reorganisation and devolution to the most ambitious timescale. The council is also invited to formally respond to the consultation Government is currently running in the area, seeking views on Mayoral devolution. My officials have engaged regularly with their counterparts in local government in the region.

With regards to reorganisation, on 5 February, I invited unitary proposals from all councils in two-tier areas and their neighbouring small unitaries. All councils in Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight have been invited to submit an interim plan by 21 March and any final proposal(s) by 26 September. Departmental officials have recently met with officers from all councils in the area, including the Isle of Wight to discuss to discuss the process for reorganisation set out in the statutory invitation letter and next steps.