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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 24 June (HLWS735), what assessment they have made of the administrative and financial implications for councils that will be mandated to move from a committee model to a cabinet model.

In the statement of 24 June, we set out the Government’s intention to bring forward primary legislation when Parliamentary time allows to ensure all local authorities in England operate an executive model of governance. If Parliament agrees this legislation, councils operating the committee system will have one year following commencement of the new legislation within which to change to the leader and cabinet model. Councils which are to be abolished under local government reorganisation in their area will be exempt. This timeline gives councils which need to make the change time to prepare.

Going forward, simplifying executive governance models across the sector, and preventing the establishment of new mayoral councils, will avoid further such costs arising to local taxpayers and will provide certainty to councils as to their governance arrangements as unbudgeted costs of responding to petitions and hosting referendums will be prevented, ultimately saving councils time and taxpayers money.