Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government written question – answered at on 20 October 2025.
Alberto Costa
Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee of Privileges, Chair, Committee of Privileges
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to amend section 27(3) of the Localism Act 2011 to include a statutory definition of bullying and harassment covering (a) persistent verbal abuse, (b) intimidation and (c) behaviour causing significant distress.
Alberto Costa
Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee of Privileges, Chair, Committee of Privileges
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) investigating and (b) sanctioning misconduct by (i) town and (ii) parish councillors.
Alberto Costa
Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee of Privileges, Chair, Committee of Privileges
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce a mandatory code of conduct for local government in England.
Alberto Costa
Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee of Privileges, Chair, Committee of Privileges
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to legislate to provide principal authorities with powers to (a) investigate breaches of conduct and (b) impose meaningful sanctions on (i) parish and (ii) town councillors.
Alberto Costa
Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee of Privileges, Chair, Committee of Privileges
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to mandate standards committees with lay member involvement in principal authorities to ensure impartiality in misconduct cases.
Alberto Costa
Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee of Privileges, Chair, Committee of Privileges
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to bring forward proposals for the suspension of councillors for up to six months in cases of proven (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) serious misconduct.
Alberto Costa
Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee of Privileges, Chair, Committee of Privileges
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential implications for its policies of the Committee on Standards in Public Life's report entitled Local Government Ethical Standards, published on 30 January 2019; and whether he plans to implement the recommendations on sanctions in that report.
Alberto Costa
Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee on Standards, Chair, Committee of Privileges, Chair, Committee of Privileges
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to apply (a) disqualification, (b) premises bans and (c) other sanctions to councillors found to have engaged in serious misconduct.
Alison McGovern
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In December 2024 the government launched a consultation seeking views on wide ranging reforms to the local government standards regime in England. The government response will be issued in due course. After its release, we will continue to work actively with local government on developing the detailed policies for implementation.
Yes1 person thinks so
No1 person thinks not
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