Question
The Minister will know, because of the many times I have raised it with him and the Secretary of State, that there is still real concern in Peacehaven, Telscombe and East Saltdean, in my constituency, about the proposed merger into Brighton and Hove. Given today’s announcement and the “minded to” decision, can he explain a little more clearly how my constituents can feed in, during the three or four-week period, and how I can ensure their views continue to be heard?
Answer
At the moment, the proposal regarding the “minded to” decision is to expand the boundary of Brighton and Hove city council to include the communities of Saltdean and Peacehaven further down the coast. However, that is a “minded to” decision, so there is an opportunity for communities to make representations, alongside MPs. I give my hon. Friend credit for the representations he has already made on this over quite a long period.
Verdict: AMBER (32/100)
The reply confirms that communities can make representations at the 'minded-to' stage, but it does not say how residents should submit their views, by what deadline, or over what period. On the question of how MPs can keep constituents' views in front of decision-makers, it only says communities can make representations 'alongside MPs' and offers no concrete mechanism, with the rest of the reply praising the MP's past work. Both parts of the question are answered only in vague terms, so the person asking would most likely need to follow up for specifics.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| How constituents in Peacehaven, Telscombe and East Saltdean can feed in their views during the three- to four-week period following the 'minded to' decision on the proposed merger into Brighton and Hove. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply confirms that the minded-to stage offers an opportunity for communities to make representations, but it never says how residents submit views (channel, address, or deadline) or how long the window runs, so the 'how' is only gestured at. |
| How the MP can ensure that his constituents' views continue to be heard during that consultation period. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | Saying communities can make representations 'alongside MPs' implies the MP can take part in the consultation, but the reply gives no concrete mechanism for the MP to keep constituents' views in front of decision-makers, and the praise for his past representations (statement 3) does not answer the question. |