Local Government: Reorganisation

Communities and Local Government written question – answered at on 8 June 2010.

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Photo of John Denham John Denham Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what costs his Department incurred in contesting each judicial review of local government reorganisation for (a) Devon, (b) Norfolk and (c) Suffolk.

Photo of Grant Shapps Grant Shapps The Minister for Housing

The current costs incurred by the Department for legal proceedings in relation to local government reorganisation in Devon, Norfolk and Suffolk are set out in the following table:

Challenge against the Boundary Committee where the Secretary of State has been named as an interested party brought by: Legal costs to Department (£)
Breckland district council and others 62,450
East Devon district council 31,820
Suffolk Coastal and others 45,875
King's Lynn and others 6,833

In addition, Devon and Norfolk county councils have challenged the decision of the Secretary of State in relation to unitary councils for Exeter and Norwich cities. The High Court has yet to hand down judgment in this challenge and hence the Department's legal costs arising from it are yet to be determined. However, to date the Department has incurred costs of £62,065 on this challenge.

The Government introduced a Bill into the House of Lords on 26 May which will stop the restructuring of councils in Devon, Norfolk and Suffolk. This will save the taxpayer £40 million in unnecessary restructuring costs.

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