Angela Watkinson (Whip, Whips; Upminster, Conservative)

What progress has been made on reorganisation of local government in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins (Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office; Wythenshawe & Sale East, Labour)

The reorganisation programme is the responsibility of the Minister of Environment in Northern Ireland, who recently made a statement to the Assembly that plans to reduce the number of district councils from 26 to 11 are on track and that the new structures will be in place by May 2011.

Angela Watkinson (Whip, Whips; Upminster, Conservative)

I thank the Minister for that answer. As he will know, the new local councils are not yet in place, and I am grateful to him for confirming that the date of the local elections in Northern Ireland is May next year.

Paul Goggins (Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office; Wythenshawe & Sale East, Labour)

The hon. Lady will know that we delayed the elections that would have taken place this year to 2011. That is an absolutely final date so far as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I are concerned, and I am pleased that the Minister of Environment has committed to put the necessary legislation in place so that that can happen.

Nigel Dodds (Belfast North, DUP)

On an issue that is the Minister's responsibility, can he tell us whether he will bring forward legislation to allow councillors in the current set-up to retire without the need for costly unwanted by-elections as we come to the fag end of the current councils leading up to 2011?

Paul Goggins (Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office; Wythenshawe & Sale East, Labour)

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point; we do not want a succession of by-elections between April next year and May 2011. I recently published a consultation document on a number of options to make sure that we deal with the issue and do not have all those by-elections to which he referred.