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 debate following her oral statement of 5 February 2025 on English Devolution and Local Government, Official Report, column 780, if she will meet the hon. Members for constituencies in Surrey to discuss the potential impact of council debt in Surrey on her proposals for local government reorganisation before 21 March 2025.

It is for Surrey councils to develop a proposal or proposals in line with the criteria and guidance set out in the invitation. This should include for Surrey, as an area covering a council in Best Value intervention, demonstrating how reorganisation may contribute to putting local government in the area as a whole on a firmer footing and what area-specific arrangements may be necessary to make new structures viable. The invitation is also clear that councils should engage locally and that we also expect and encourage local leaders to engage their Members of Parliament, on any proposals being developed.