Ministers will today discuss plans to merge the three provinces of Noord-Holland, Utrecht and Flevoland into a single entity, the Volkskrant reports on Friday.

The merger plan is notable because it does not include Zuid-Holland – home to both Rotterdam and The Hague, the paper says.
The government hopes the move will make local government more focused and make it easier to develop infrastructure and transport links. Transport and roads are one of the main responsibilities of the provincial authorities.
Talks
Talks on the merger have included the prime minister and the queen’s commissioners in the three provinces facing amalgamation as well as Zuid Holland. The mayors of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague have also been involved.
A commitment to cutting back on local government is part of the coalition agreement. The seven borough councils in Amsterdam are also being abolished.
Flevoland provincial councillors told ANP they saw no merits in a merger to create a super province.