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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to revise levelling up funding commitments in the context of rising inflation.

My department is monitoring the situation closely through formal reporting mechanisms and on the ground relationships, allowing us to understand the impact of cost inflation and respond accordingly. We have put in place proportionate project adjustment processes on our two biggest live programmes, the Towns Fund and Levelling Up Fund.

This means that where projects need to re-scope or make adjustments to phasing in response to rising costs, we can review and where appropriate agree those quickly, whilst ensuring value for money. Places receiving Town Deals also have greater flexibility to agree necessary adjustments to projects locally

UK Shared Prosperity Fund's delegated delivery model and light touch change control process enables local authorities to adjust their plan to react to local need. Local authorities can also use their allocation to fund community measures to reduce the cost of living, including measures to improve energy efficiency and combat fuel poverty.