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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 Alison McGovern (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, what assessment he has made of the costs of implementing the re-organisation of local government in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay for each local authority and what funding will his department make available to meet them.

Answer

As part of the local government reorganisation process, councils were required to set out assessments of implementation and transition costs within their proposals. It is expected that councils will be able to meet these costs over time from existing budgets, including from the flexible use of capital receipts that can support authorities in taking forward transformation and invest-to-save projects.

Alongside this, the Government has announced up to £63 million in capacity funding to support councils going through local government reorganisation. At least £900,000 will be provided for each new unitary council to help with transition and set‑up costs.

The consultation for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay closed on the 26 March. The Secretary of State will now assess the proposals against the criteria, the consultation responses, and all other relevant information before deciding which, if any, proposal to implement.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
129394
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Devon Cornwall Finance Local government Reorganisation
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk