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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to page 128 of the Levelling Up White Paper, published on 2 February 2022, CP 604, what progress he has made on streamlining grants to local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

The Levelling Up White Paper recognised that the number of different local growth funds has become difficult for Councils. We have taken steps to address this.

For example, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) allocated multi-year funding, enabling local decision makers to target the priorities in their local places. The Levelling Up Fund consolidates several previously separate funds to provide cross-departmental capital investment in local infrastructure.

At Budget we also announced new trailblazer deals for Greater Manchester and West Midlands Combined Authorities. Central to these deals is a commitment for both authorities to benefit from a new, department-style single settlement from the next spending review.

We are committed to reforming the broader current landscape, to deliver a simpler and more transparent funding system for local authorities across the UK. We will set out our next steps in due course.