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

To ask His Majesty's Government how much has been spent to date by (1) the local authorities involved, and (2) His Majesty's Government, in preparing to reform local government in accordance with the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

The Government does not centrally hold information about how much local authorities and the Government have spent on preparing for the reform of local government.

A full impact assessment has been conducted by the Government as part of the requirements for the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. It was given a green rating by the Regulatory Policy Committee, indicating it is fit for purpose. The IA has considered costs across the Bill’s policies which will reform local government, and it has been determined these will not be disproportionate and the relevant mitigations will be in place where required. The impact assessment has been published online and can be found here.