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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how his Department plans to assess local government reorganisation proposals; and whether those proposals will be assessed against the guidance set out in the letter sent by the former Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution to the leaders of two-tier councils in Oxfordshire on 5 February 2025.

The Government received final proposals for the invitation area of Oxfordshire on 28 November and will launch a statutory consultation before deciding which, if any, proposal to implement. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area, including Oxfordshire, will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance and the available evidence.

All public bodies, including the Government and local authorities, are required to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010. This duty applies to the local government reorganisation process.