My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Shaun Woodward) has made the following Ministerial Statement.

The Northern Ireland Executive have recently agreed changes to the local government structure in Northern Ireland. I have since received a request from the Minister of the Environment in the Northern Ireland Executive to postpone the next local government elections, currently scheduled for May 2009, to ensure that they may be held under the new local government structure.

I have been informed by the Minister of the Environment in the Northern Ireland Executive that May 2011 is the earliest date that elections to the new councils could take place. I am mindful of my obligations under Article 3 of the first protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights to ensure that free elections are to be held at reasonable intervals. I believe that a postponement to May 2011 would be an exceptional but justified step in the circumstances and would be consistent with the convention.

I intend to bring before this House an Order in Council under Section 84 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 to ensure that the next local government elections in Northern Ireland will be held in May 2011.