Urban Areas
Deputy Prime Minister
Bob Russell (Colchester, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish the guidelines by which those judging applicant towns for city status made their decisions.
Mark Harper (Parliamentary Secretary (Political and Constitutional Reform), Cabinet Office; Forest of Dean, Conservative)
The Government published guidelines for the format and contents of entries for the Diamond Jubilee competition when the competition was announced. These can still be viewed on the Diamond Jubilee pages of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's website. These guidelines describe information which the Government would expect to find useful in reaching a decision, but do not constitute formal criteria. City status is an honour granted by personal command of Her Majesty; not a right to be claimed by towns which tick certain boxes.