Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans are in place to ensure those areas in England without mayors and not part of a combined authority will be represented in the Council of the Nations and the Regions to enable them to contribute and participate.

The membership of the Council of the Nations and Regions is drawn from the directly elected leaders of central, devolved and local government across the UK with additional devolved powers. On 16 July 2024 the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all areas that do not have a devolution deal to invite them to come forward with a proposal. New Mayors established through this process would also be eligible to sit on the Council of the Nations and Regions. The Government is committed to working productively with local government and has established the Leaders Council to bring together other local government leaders and Ministers to identify and tackle the strategic challenges facing local government.