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West Yorkshire Combined Authority: Lexington Communications

Asked by Sir James CleverlyConservativeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 20 April 2026UIN 124733

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2026, to Question 113631, on West Yorkshire Combined Authority: Lexington Communications, and of 12 March 2026, to Question 117739, on Local Government: Lobbying, whether he considers the Lexington contract has broken his Department’s Local Government Publicity Code.

Answered by Alison McGovern

Local authorities are required to have regard to the Recommended Code of Practice on Local Authority Publicity when making decisions about publicity. Responsibility for compliance with the Code rests with individual authorities. Where the Secretary of State considers that an authority is not complying with the Code, he has powers under section 4 of the Local Government Act 1986 to issue a direction requiring the authority to comply. Any concerns regarding compliance should in the first instance be directed to the authority concerned. Following this, if the Rt Hon. Member still has concerns about West Yorkshire Combined Authority, he may wish to write to the Department setting out the relevant evidence.

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