To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she expects the Boundary Commission's review of judging bids for unitary status in aggregate to take into consideration the effect of local government structural changes on existing unitary authorities in Devon. (244750)

While it is for the Boundary Committee to decide how it proceeds, only if an alternative proposal involves changes to the boundaries of an existing Devon unitary authority, do we expect the Boundary Committee's assessment of that proposal to include consideration of any implications for the existing unitary authority.

However, our request to the Boundary Committee of 6 February 2008 made clear that any alternative unitary proposals which we asked the Committee to make should involve changes to the boundaries of existing Devon unitary authorities only if, on the basis of evidence received, the Committee considers that they are essential.