To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Inspection of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority, a) when do Ministers expect to receive the report, and b) whether the report will be made publicly available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Inspection of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority, a) when do Ministers expect to receive the report, and b) whether the report will be made publicly available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, whether additional (a) support and (b) intervention will be required before the creation of the new South West Essex unitary authority in...

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, whether additional (a) support and (b) intervention will be required before the creation of the new South West Essex unitary authority in...

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, on what date his Department first received information that contributed to the decision to issue the Notice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, on what date his Department first received information that contributed to the decision to issue the Notice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, from which (a) organisations, (b) councillors and (c) other individuals his Department received information that informed the decision to issue the Notice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, from which (a) organisations, (b) councillors and (c) other individuals his Department received information that informed the decision to issue the Notice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, which Ministers and officials were involved in the decision to issue the Notice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, which Ministers and officials were involved in the decision to issue the Notice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Best Value Notices in improving governance in local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Best Value Notices in improving governance in local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities have been subject to statutory intervention following the issue of a Best Value Notice in the last ten years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities have been subject to statutory intervention following the issue of a Best Value Notice in the last ten years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the external assurance review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the external assurance review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, what opportunities were provided to Basildon Borough Council to respond to his Department's concerns before the Notice was issued.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, what opportunities were provided to Basildon Borough Council to respond to his Department's concerns before the Notice was issued.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, whether concerns relating to the Council's preparedness for local government reorganisation influenced the decision to issue the Notice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, whether concerns relating to the Council's preparedness for local government reorganisation influenced the decision to issue the Notice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, whether his Department received representations from elected members of Basildon Borough Council prior to issuing the Notice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, whether his Department received representations from elected members of Basildon Borough Council prior to issuing the Notice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, whether his Department holds a timeline of the events that led to the issue of the Notice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, whether his Department holds a timeline of the events that led to the issue of the Notice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities are subject to a Best Value Notice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities are subject to a Best Value Notice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, what discussions took place between his Department and (a) the Local Government Association, (b) Basildon Council and (c) other public bodies before...

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, what discussions took place between his Department and (a) the Local Government Association, (b) Basildon Council and (c) other public bodies before...

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, what specific evidence led Ministers to conclude that a Best Value Notice was required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, what specific evidence led Ministers to conclude that a Best Value Notice was required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, whether the external assurance review will examine procurement and contract management practices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, whether the external assurance review will examine procurement and contract management practices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, what criteria will be used to determine whether the Council has demonstrated sufficient improvement after 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, what criteria will be used to determine whether the Council has demonstrated sufficient improvement after 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, when the external assurance review is expected to commence and when its findings will be published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, when the external assurance review is expected to commence and when its findings will be published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, whether the findings of the external assurance review will be published in full.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, whether the findings of the external assurance review will be published in full.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, what discussions his Department have had with the Local Government Association on the support being provided to Basildon Borough Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Best Value Notice issued to Basildon Borough Council on 15 July 2026, what discussions his Department have had with the Local Government Association on the support being provided to Basildon Borough Council.