Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 22379 on Local Government Finance: Devolution, and with reference to her Department's High Street Rental Auctions fund: prospectus, updated on 17 January 2025, for what reason the High Streets Rental Auctions fund is operating on a bidding scheme basis; and whether the fund is ringfenced.

The government has made over £1 million available to support all local authorities in England to deliver High Street Rental Auctions (HSRA), a crucial part of how we will address persistent vacancies on high streets.

The non-ringfenced grant funding is designed to fund the cost of setting up a register of vacant properties and the refurbishment of vacant properties subject to a rental auction. These costs will vary depending on the nature of the property and other factors, so to ensure value for money, the government is asking local authorities to specify how much funding they require and to demonstrate their application meets certain limited criteria. For example, funding for refurbishments is limited to areas with higher vacancy rates. Provided it meets that criteria, and funding remains, it will be agreed.

New Burdens funding is also available to meet the administrative costs of implementing the new powers.