Question
The reason this local government reorganisation has been so appalling shambolic is that the Government made political decisions, as opposed to the right decisions. Reform in Lincolnshire welcomes the decision to pause there, but does the Minister understand that Reform in Warwickshire is concerned that the two-unitary proposal he is minded to accept will lead to the bankruptcy of both unitaries within a matter of years?
Answer
The “minded to” process will allow anyone in the area to make those points in representations. If there is new information that we have not considered, I would be happy to receive it.
Verdict: RED (20/100)
The reply does not say whether the Minister accepts the concern that the two proposed new councils could be financially unviable, and it does not explain how their viability has been assessed. Instead, it points to the 'minded to' representations process and invites new information, which tells the asker how to raise the concern but does not respond to it. The answer is largely hedged, so the person who asked would probably need to ask again to get a clear position.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does the Minister understand the concern, raised by Reform in Warwickshire, that the two-unitary proposal for Warwickshire will lead to both new unitary councils becoming bankrupt within a few years? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply never says whether the Minister understands the bankruptcy concern or addresses financial viability of the two new councils. It only points to the 'minded to' representations process and says new information would be welcome, which is a procedural route for raising the concern rather than an engagement with it. |