My Lords, I beg to move that the draft West Suffolk (Modification of Boundary Change Enactments) Regulations 2018,
the draft West Suffolk (Local Government Changes) Order 2018, the draft East Suffolk (Modification of Boundary Change Enactments) Regulations 2018 and the draft East Suffolk (Local Government Changes) Order 2018, which were laid before the House on 19 March 2018, be considered.
These instruments, if approved by Parliament and made, will on 1 April 2019 establish two new councils: East Suffolk Council and West Suffolk Council. East Suffolk Council is made up of two existing councils: Suffolk Coastal District Council and Waveney District Council. West Suffolk Council is made up of Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council.
The instruments also provide for elections to these new councils to be held in May 2019 and each fourth year thereafter. This includes providing electoral arrangements, the warding arrangements that would be used for the first elections should the Local Government Boundary Commission for England be unable to conclude in time the electoral review which is expected it will undertake. In addition, they make transitional provisions, including for a shadow authority and shadow executive to prepare for the new councils during the period from when the order is in force until April 2019.
We have brought forward these instruments in response to locally-led proposals from each of the areas concerned. All of the existing principal councils in each area support the proposals and, as statute requires, have given their formal consent to the regulations. In line with the Government’s 2017 manifesto, we are committed to consider any locally-led proposals for district mergers and, as we told Parliament in November 2017, we will assess proposals on the basis that they will improve local government and service delivery, create structures with a credible geography and command a good deal of local support.
The Government are satisfied that these two merger proposals fully meet these criteria. In the case of East Suffolk, the merger is the next logical step to the many shared arrangements which the two existing councils in the area have today. It will improve local government in the area. It will achieve greater efficiency and resilience. It will secure for the future on-going savings totalling more than £20 million since 2010, as well as yielding further savings which the council estimates as £2.2 million per year.
The area of the new combined East Suffolk Council is a coherent geography with a population of around 240,000. This area is, in fact, the same area as the old county of East Suffolk that existed from 1888 until 1974. Finally, we are satisfied that the evidence shows that there is strong local support for this proposal, with a survey suggesting that 72% of residents would support the merger.
Turning to West Suffolk, the two merging councils already operate largely as one council. The merger completes and secures this and the benefits it brings. It will therefore improve local government in the area, securing for the future on-going savings of £4 million a year as well as yielding further savings which the council estimates as £850,000 per year. As in the case of East Suffolk, the new area recreates a traditional
long-established area, that of the county of West Suffolk that existed prior to 1974, but with a population today of almost 180,000. As with East Suffolk, this proposal for a new West Suffolk has strong local support.
It may assist the Committee if before concluding I say something about the processes which have been followed by the councils and the Government and which have led us to conclude that these proposals do, indeed, meet the criteria and are worthy of implementation. In each case the councils concerned submitted their proposal after undertaking what we believe was a sound and full consultation exercise involving extensive local engagement and open consultation.
In the case of East Suffolk, in formulating their proposals, East Suffolk councils undertook a programme of engagement with residents and stakeholders from September 2016 until December 2016. The programme included: an independent, proportionally representative phone poll; a media campaign including press releases and promotion on social media; information packs for town and parish councils; an open consultation via a dedicated webpage and an online survey to collect comments on the proposals; formal communication to stakeholders; presentations and talks at resident and business forums and public events; and a frequently asked questions document updated with any common questions or concerns.
The independent poll commissioned to find out local residents’ views suggests that 72% of residents were in favour of the proposals to form a new single district council, with 22% raising concerns. All of the local institutional stakeholders, such as the NHS, the county council, major business groups in Suffolk and all the neighbouring authorities, are also in favour.
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In the case of West Suffolk, the programme of engagement with residents and stakeholders took place from May 2017 until the end of August 2017 and included: an independent, proportionally representative phone poll; a media campaign including press releases and promotion on social media; information packs for town and parish councils; an open consultation via a dedicated webpage and an online survey to collect comments on the proposals; formal communication to 162 stakeholders; presentations and talks at resident and business forums and public events; and staff briefings for front-line employees. The opinion research commissioned to find out local residents’ views suggests that 70% of residents were in favour of the proposals to form a new single district council. As was the case in East Suffolk, 22% of residents raised concerns. All of the local institutional stakeholders, such as the NHS, the police, the county council, major business groups in Suffolk, and all the neighbouring authorities are also in favour.
In both cases, where any concerns were raised, the councils made efforts to address each of the issues, and, where contact information had been provided, responded directly to explain how the concerns would be addressed. These responses were collated and published on the councils’ dedicated webpages.
Having considered all the material submitted to us, we do not share the view of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee—much as we hold it in the greatest
respect—which reported that there appeared to be inadequacies in the consultation processes which relate to the instruments. Rather, we believe that the councils carried out a considerable exercise in consultation and made every effort to obtain a good appreciation of local opinion—and, in fact, achieved this. We are reinforced in our view by the support in both areas of many of the elected representatives, including all the MPs, for this proposal. Those elected locally to represent their area are clearly in a good position to know what local people are thinking.
Once the proposals were submitted, the next step was for my right honourable friend the then Secretary of State to announce how he was minded to proceed. In both cases, he announced that he was minded to implement the proposal. There then followed a period for representations. In the case of East Suffolk, a total of 25 representations was received: 20 in favour, one neutral and four against. None of the representations that were in opposition raised points which had not been raised and addressed in the consultation undertaken by the local authorities. I would add that these representations include five received outside of the timescale and beyond the 20 received during the representation period. We refer to those received on time in the Explanatory Memorandum, which, if Parliament approves the order, will be updated to include those responses received later. In the case of West Suffolk, all seven representations received were supportive of the proposal, including the local NHS, the county council and business groups.
It was following these processes that my right honourable friend the then Secretary of State decided to bring forward the secondary legislation which we are considering today to implement these two merger proposals. For each proposal, there are two instruments before us. In each case, the regulations modify the provisions of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 in its application to the case concerned. The regulations are made under provisions of the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016. These regulations modify the 2007 Act provisions to enable a locally led and supported merger proposal to be implemented without the need for a time-consuming boundary review, which can be undertaken only at the discretion of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. I should add that the Boundary Commission sees no difficulty with the approach we are taking and is expected to undertake a full electoral review to re-ward both new areas before the elections in May 2019. In each case, there is an order to be made under the modified provisions of the 2007 Act, which provide for the new councils, their elections and transitional arrangements.
In conclusion, these instruments establish two new councils that are widely supported. I have full confidence in the local areas to implement the mergers by April 2019 and allow the good people of Suffolk to elect their new councils in May that year. On that basis, I commend the regulations and orders to the committee.