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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local government restructuring will split up district councils when creating new unitaries.

Government has set an ambitious timetable for local government reorganisation, with three deadlines for submitting proposals for unitary local government set out in the invitation letters.

• Surrey: Proposals received on 9 May 202569677 a. Expect elections to new authorities in May 2026, with new authorities going live in April 2027.
• Areas that are part of the Devolution Priority Programme: proposals are due by 26 September. Expect elections to new authorities in May 2027, going live in April 2028.
• All other areas: Proposals are due by 28 November. The fastest possible timetable has elections to new authorities in May 2027 and new authorities going live in April 2028.

The invitation letter sets out that boundary changes are possible, but that existing district areas should be considered the building blocks for proposals. Any proposals that involve boundary changes or affect wider public services such as fire and rescue authorities will require a strong public services and financial sustainability related justification.