Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that his Cabinet Colleagues improve their (a) links with and (b) understanding of local authorities and local government finance.

The Department has risen to the huge challenges of the pandemic and has been an effective voice for local government, securing an unprecedented £12 billion of direct support for councils to tackle the impacts of COVID-19 as part of an over £36 billion package for local councils, communities and businesses. In doing so, we have worked collaboratively with key departments to engage regularly and constructively with local authorities on issues of mutual interest.

We value our deep connections with council stakeholders at every level, and have worked closely across government on future plans for adult social care, the levelling up agenda, readiness for each step of the roadmap out of lockdown and other cross-cutting issues, to ensure their needs are understood. This has included the Secretary of State ensuring the needs of local government are considered at a range of meetings attended by Cabinet colleagues, including the COVID-19 Operations Cabinet Committee for issues in relation to the pandemic, alongside his attendance at other Cabinet Committees on matters of interest to local government.