Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Standards
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 28 of her Department's document entitled Best Value Duty: draft statutory guidance (July 2026), published on 15 July 2026, whether the standards on (a) communication and (b) local government restructuring partnership working and community engagement that are required of local authorities, will also apply to her own Department.
Answered by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
The Best Value Duty relates to the statutory requirement for Local and Strategic Authorities and other public bodies defined as “Best Value Authorities” in Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1999 to “make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness”.
Local and Strategic Authorities must have regard to statutory guidance on the Best Value Duty, which was first issued in May 2024. A public consultation on a refreshed version of this guidance opened on 15 July and will end on 7 October.
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