Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to his contribution of 28 October 2013, Official Report, column 678, on the Second Reading of the Local Audit and Accountability Bill [Lords], when he intends to bring forward legislative proposals to allow local authorities in the same local enterprise partnership and functional economic area which do not have a contiguous boundary to join combined authorities.
Answer
As stated in the White Paper, “Government's response to the Heseltine review (Cm 8587; March 2013)”, the Government is committed to make the existing legislation on combined authorities effective and sufficient for its needs, and following discussions my officials have had with certain authorities potentially concerned, we are now considering consulting before the summer on a Legislative Reform Order to amend the existing legislation so that authorities which do not have a contiguous boundary but are in the same functional economic area can join a combined authority.