Question
Councils across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have worked collaboratively throughout the whole local government reorganisation process, even when they have disagreed. I have long advocated for our region to have three unitary councils, not just two, and I hope the Government will agree, but there are of course questions about where boundaries should lie. What avenues will be available, or are available, for councils to submit modifications to proposals if consensus can be built on improvements?
Answer
At the moment, we will be going on the proposals that we already have. If those proposals generally contain the type of outcome that my hon. Friend wants and we are minded to go with them, there is an opportunity during the “minded to” window to make representations: “Actually, those proposals could be improved if this modification were made.” If we accept that as an argument and want to make a modification order, we will then need to go through a separate consultation process. That will probably take a bit longer, but if it is the right thing to do, we should be open-minded about doing it.17% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (72/100)
The reply answers the question directly. It names two concrete routes: making representations during the existing 'minded to' window for proposals already on the table, and a separate consultation on a modification order if the Government accepts a case for changes. It does not give a timescale for the second route, only that it will take longer, so the asker may still want to ask when it would happen.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What avenues are available, or will be available, for councils to submit modifications to local government reorganisation proposals where consensus has been built on improvements? | Addressed | Direct | The reply names two concrete routes: representations during the existing "minded to" window for proposals already on the table, and a separate modification-order consultation if the Government accepts an argument for changes, which it notes will take longer. Statement 6 is vague, but the specific mechanisms in statements 2 and 4 answer the question. |