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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with (a) Norfolk County Council and (b) North Norfolk District Council on a devolution deal for Norfolk.

This Government has recently announced that it will not be proceeding with the existing devolution deal with Norfolk County Council which was agreed with the previous Government in December 2022. Instead, Government are continuing with Norfolk to deliver a more ambitious new agreement as we lay the foundations for the English Devolution Bill.

This Government strongly believes that the benefits of devolution are best achieved through the establishment of combined institutions with a directly elected leader. Mayors should have a unique role in an institution which allows them to focus fully on their devolved strategic responsibilities, working hand in glove with council leaders who will vitally also focus on the delivery of the essential services for which they are responsible.

Conflating these two responsibilities into the same individual and institution, as is the case under the mayoral Single Local Authority model of devolution, would risk the optimal delivery of both and is not in line with the direction of travel we are setting out ahead of the English Devolution Bill.