Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Local Referendums: Local Government Reorganisation

Thursday 22 April 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Electoral Commission has made no assessment of the merits of using local referendums for local government reorganisation.
  • Local authority accounting officers would be responsible for running local referendums under current legislation.
  • The Electoral Commission would provide guidance to accounting officers on aspects of local referendum administration.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Ian Liddell-Grainger Con
Democracy & Elections Local Government
Context

There is ongoing debate about the merits of local referendums to inform reorganization in local government.

Question

What assessment has the Electoral Commission made of the potential merits of using local referendums to inform local government reorganisation?

Answer from Chris Matheson

There are mechanisms in law for holding referendums on a number of local matters. Decisions on whether to deploy such a mechanism are political and not for the commission. It has therefore made no assessment of the merits of using local referendums to inform local government reorganisation.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Electoral Commission's assessment of the potential merits of using local referendums

How: Decisions On Deploying Such A Mechanism Are Political And Not For The Commission.

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Q2 Ian Liddell-Grainger Con
Local Government
Context

Somerset County Council has requested a consultation using citizen space, which is not a proper consultation and anyone can participate. The questioner suggests a referendum as the only way to hear what Somerset residents truly want.

Question

We have a problem in this country when a body like Somerset County Council, which wants to go unitary, has asked the Government to do a consultation using the citizen space, which is not a consultation—anybody in the world can take part. Surely a referendum is the only way to truly hear what the people of Somerset want to say—under the auspices of the Electoral Commission, so that we have proper democracy, proper accountability? Does the hon. Gentleman agree that that is the way that government should work? Is that not the way the House should work?

Answer from Chris Matheson

Under current legislation, local authority accounting officers would be responsible for running local referendums. The commission's role would be limited to providing guidance to accounting officers on some aspects of the administration of local referendums, particularly where they are concerned with other events. If we were to achieve what the hon. Gentleman was hoping for, I suspect and fear that a change in legislation would be required.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner's suggestion on how government should work through referendums under Electoral Commission supervision

How: A Change In Legislation Would Be Required To Achieve The Hon. Gentleman'S Hope.

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