To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposals by Leicestershire County Council to create a single unitary authority in the county presently served by a two-tier structure; and whether it is their policy to only agree to the reorganisation of local government structures where agreement is reached with all the local authorities affected.
Answered on
24 July 2018
Whilst the Government has not received such a proposal, it would assess any proposal to replace two-tier local government with one or more unitary councils against our publicly announced criteria, namely that proposals should, if implemented, be likely to improve the area's local government, command a good deal of local support in the area, and whether the area itself is a credible geography for the proposed new structures.