Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether a devolution deal with Cheshire and Warrington is dependent on the introduction of an elected mayor.

Devolution deal proposals must be led and agreed by local partners—the Government will not impose an arrangement on any area. What we are saying, though, is that if an area wants far-reaching control over major powers and budgets, we will expect that deal to include a directly-elected mayor covering the whole area.