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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities of 20 November 2023, Official Report, column 28, when the area teams informed local authorities that their levelling-up bids would be successful ahead of Government announcements.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 4194 on 5 December 2023.

To support the development of bids, £125,000 was provided to each local authority in England who were assessed as most in need in Rounds 1 and 2, and all local authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.