Written question asked by David Reed (Conservative) on Wednesday, 22 April 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 28 April 2026 (named day). It was answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh (Labour) on Tuesday, 28 April 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Local Government: Cornwall and Devon

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he a) intends to require Cornwall, Devon, Torbay and Plymouth separately or together, to be part of a combined directly elected mayoral authority to access the full range of devolved powers b) has set a deadline for implementing this policy and c) has made an estimate of the costs of this additional layer of government.

Answer: We want to see all of England access devolved powers as soon as possible by establishing Strategic Authorities that can make the key decisions to drive economic growth and celebrate local identities. We are continuing to engage in conversations with local authorities in Cornwall, Devon, Torbay and Plymouth, to take the next step in unlocking the powers and functions available through the Devolution Framework for these areas, at a pace and configuration to be agreed with local leaders.

Secondary information