Question
North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, the two unitaries serving my constituency, are unanimous in wanting to maintain the status quo, as are the four MPs across the area. The Minister’s predecessor announced that that would be the case. Could he enlighten us as to why he is further delaying and continuing the uncertainty?
Answer
The hon. Member is almost suggesting that the further delay is for the sake of delay, but new decisions have to be taken. When I review previous decisions, I am not just saying, “Well, we’ll just allow them to go through.” We are withdrawing decisions entirely for areas, and we will make new decisions from the point of proposal, with a consultation and based on fresh evidence. He says that his is a compelling proposal, and asks why we would think otherwise, and what he proposes may well be the outcome, but it would be wrong to predetermine it.
Verdict: AMBER (68/100)
The reply gives a clear, specific reason for the further delay: earlier decisions for these areas are being withdrawn, so new decisions must start again from the proposal stage, with consultation and fresh evidence. It also says the local proposal may well be the eventual outcome but should not be treated as settled in advance. It does not directly respond to the point about local unanimity, so someone who raised that point may need to ask again.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the reason for the Government's further delay in deciding the future of local government structures in North and North East Lincolnshire, given the local unanimity in favour of retaining the current unitary arrangements. | Addressed | Direct | The reply gives a concrete reason for the further delay: previous decisions are being withdrawn for these areas, so new decisions must be taken from the proposal stage with consultation and fresh evidence. It also engages with the local proposal by saying it may well be the outcome but should not be predetermined, though it does not directly address the local unanimity point. |