Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

Communities and Local Government, for what specific reasons was the decision made to delay the decision on selecting an option for Local Government Reorganisation in Cambridgeshire until the Autumn.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment has his Department made of each business case submitted for the options in consideration for Local Government Reorganisation in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, what advice he received from civil servants at the (a) Department for Health and Social Care and (b) Department for Education on the potential options for the future structure of

Decisions on local government reorganisation are subject to collective agreement in the usual way.A summary of the Secretary of State’s decision for Essex Councils, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock has already been provided at gov.uk here. The Government has ...

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 24 June 2026 to question 11275 on Local Government: Reorganisation, what discussions his Department has had with Unison staff on Local Government Reorga

My Department has not had any discussions with Unison staff regarding local government reorganisation in the invitation area of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, which includes the area of Huntingdonshire. The Government strongly encourages councils going ...

Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has held with officials from the Unison union on local government reorganisation.

The Department has been working closely with trade unions, including Unison, as we develop support and guidance to assist councils with the transition and will continue to do so throughout the process. Several discussions have focussed on staffing matters...

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2026 to Question 4883 on Mayors: Elections, whether proposed Police Reform Bill will amend section 21(1)(d) of the Greater London Authority Act 1

The Government will consider this issue as part of the development of the Police Reform Bill that was announced in the 2026 King’s Speech.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of prioritising hospital helipad access in planning applications.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 110529 on 11 February 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the level of need to prioritise hospital helipad access in current planning considerations.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 110529 on 11 February 2026.

Communities and Local Government, whether he is taking legislative steps to help improve alignment between Section 66(3)(c) of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 and Section 21(1)(d) of the Grea

Police governance in London is different to that of areas outside London; in that the Mayor of London is not a Police and Crime Commissioner and has bespoke arrangements governing their oversight of the Metropolitan Police. Disqualification criteria for t...

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department holds information on the number of council houses in England and Wales allocated to current Hon Members.

My Department collects data on new social housing allocations in England through the Continuous Recording (CORE) system. CORE does not record the tenant’s name or whether they are an hon. Member.

Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the Barrow Transformation Fund will be funded by his Department.

The Government has committed £200 million over 10 years to support regeneration in Barrow-in-Furness (the ‘Barrow Transformation Fund’). 25% of this funding is provided by MHCLG and the remaining 75% is provided by the Ministry of Defence.

Communities and Local Government, for what reason did Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority not qualify for the Mayoral Revolving Growth Fund.

The Mayoral Revolving Growth Fund's place selection methodology is available online: Mayoral Revolving Growth Fund: policy statement - GOV.UK. This sets out that places were selected based on:their growth potential using Gross Domestic Product per head to measure distance from UK average productivity; andstrategic, financial and risk management capability, evidenced by agreed shared Local Growth Plan priorities and readiness for an Integrated Settlement by 2026/27.Based on those criteria, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority did not qualify for the fund.

Communities and Local Government, how much funding from the Pride in Place programme will be allocated to Huntingdon constituency.

The Pride in Place programme specifically targets funding to communities with the poorest social and economic outcomes, identified using a composite measure of deprivation (Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)) and community need (Community Needs Index (CNI)), which can be found here. Huntingdon was not one of the areas identified for inclusion in the Pride in Place programme through this methodology. However, every constituency benefits from our wider Pride in Place strategy which will equip neighbourhoods, like those in your constituency, with the tools to drive transformational change that reflects local priorities.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2026 to question 114906 on Police and Crime Commissioners: Elections, what is the total estimated cost of £87m set out in the relevant Charges Order comprised of.

The estimated £87 million represents the full range of necessary costs Returning Officers can claim for the efficient and effective delivery of the 2024 Police and Crime Commissioner elections, including staffing, polling stations, printing, postal voting, count operations, logistics and Returning Officer fees.

Communities and Local Government, what the cost to the public purse is of a) reinstating and b) holding previously cancelled local elections in May 2026.

I refer the Rt hon. and hon. Members to the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement of 23 February 2026 (HCWS1349). It is a longstanding principle that Government does not comment on or publish legal advice. The Government has no plans to publish individual correspondence from councils. Councils are being supported to deliver elections. The administration and cost of running local elections remain matters for local authorities, with wider costs handled in the usual way. We are also making available up to £63 million in new capacity funding for reorganisation areas.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the need to introduce a legal requirement to consider access to hospital helipads in any planning application in the vicinity of a hospital.

The government is currently consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making. The proposed new Framework gives substantial weight to the benefits of providing new or improved public service infrastructure, including healthcare facilities of all types. The consultation also sets out updated policy to make clear that public services should not have unreasonable restrictions placed on their current or permitted operation as a result of development being approved after they were established. This means that development proposals should be capable of being integrated effectively with existing public service activities and infrastructure in their vicinity. The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2026 to question 106657 on Secondary Education: Cambridgeshire, by which date the statutory consultation on local government reorganisation will launch.

As set out in my Written Ministerial Statement of 18 December (HCWS1215), I expect to launch the statutory consultation on proposals for the remaining local government reorganisation areas, including Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, in early February.

Communities and Local Government, what is the projected total cost of local government reorganisation in England.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 77631 on 13 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what impact assessment he has conducted on the implementation of local government reorganisation.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 77631 on 13 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what is the projected total cost of local government reorganisation in Cambridgeshire.

Exact costs and savings will vary by area, depending on proposals received and which proposals are implemented. It was for local areas to firstly submit proposals, including estimated costs/benefits of each proposal. We anticipate that we will launch a consultation in February on final proposals for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough that meet the terms of the invitation letter before deciding which, if any, to implement.