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

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 18 July (HL16984), whether they will now answer the question put, namely what assessment they have made of the comparative costs of directly elected mayoral systems and traditional systems of local government administration.

It is for local areas to decide what governance arrangements would be of most benefit and value to their local communities. The costs of such arrangements are critically dependent on local decisions on how the arrangements are operated, including decisions about member allowances and the number and frequency of meetings. Accordingly, as indicated in answer to the Noble Lord's question of 8 July (HL 16984), assessment undertaken by Government has focused on what different models can deliver, and concludes that the mayoral model provides a single point of accountability that allows significant powers and budgets to be devolved to an area.