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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 16 June (HL Deb col 227), what are the associated costs of the changes to the voting system introduced by the Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (Amendment) Order 2026.

The costs of mayoral elections are met by local authorities and are not held centrally, with each authority responsible for managing and retaining its own election cost data. The Government is therefore unable to provide this information.

Our estimate of the additional costs that might arise from second rounds of counting for all mayoral elections in England and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales over the 10-year period from 2026/27 to 2035/36 is £12.5m, comprising approximately £5.8m for Police and Crime Commissioner elections and £6.7m for mayoral elections. This estimate includes elections for elected local authority mayors, combined authority mayors, combined county authority mayors, the Mayor of London and Police and Crime Commissioners. This estimate does not factor in the Home Office’s plans to abolish the role of Police and Crime Commissioner.