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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what comparative assessment she has made of the cost-effectiveness and financial sustainability of (a) multi-year formula funding allocations and (b) competitive bidding systems for local regeneration.

As set out in the Funding Simplification Doctrine (Funding Simplification Doctrine: guidance and further information), Government acknowledges that running competitions can create additional financial and resource burdens on local authorities and affect their ability to deliver existing programmes for central government, diverting capacity to write bids for an uncertain outcome.

Simplifying the funding landscape for local authorities makes it easier for councils to plan, invest and deliver for their communities. In September 2025, we consolidated a number of funding streams into the Local Regeneration Fund, giving local authorities a single, flexible allocation to empower leaders, cut bureaucracy and improve efficiency in the delivery of regeneration projects.

We have also delivered on our commitment to give councils multi-year funding Settlements. The 2026-27 Settlement was the first multi-year Settlement in a decade, providing local authorities with the stability and certainty they had long called for.