§ Mr. Stephen O'BrienTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many responses have been received to date in response to the consultation on the future configuration of local government in the North West Region from residents of(a) Cheshire, (b) Lancashire, (c) Cumbria, (d) Greater Manchester, (e) Merseyside and (f) the North West Region what the cost has been of the consultations; what costs have been incurred by (i) Vale Royal Borough Council, (ii) Chester City Council, (iii) Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council and (iv) Cheshire County Council in relation to this issue and the consultation exercise; and what rights of recovery of these costs councils have in the event of a no vote in a referendum on an elected North West regional government. [155627]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Boundary Committee's consultation on its draft recommendations is a matter for that independent Committee.
Councils that respond to the Boundary Committee's consultation exercise do so on their own initiative and have no right to recover any costs they incur.