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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of public funding for local leisure facilities.

The Department works closely with local government and other government departments to understand specific demand and cost pressures facing local government on an ongoing basis. This involves looking at a range of cost and demand data, as well as regular engagement with local authorities.

The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash-terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25. The majority of this funding is un-ringfenced, and can be used to address the range of pressures facing the local government sector. Spending decisions beyond 2025-26, including on funding for local leisure facilities, are a matter for the upcoming Spending Review.