Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) Community and Environment Fund and (b) Business and Local Economy Fund in supporting communities affected by HS2 works in the London Borough of Ealing; if she will review the potential impact of restrictions that limit local authorities to submitting a maximum of two bids to those Funds at a time on the London Borough of Ealing, in the context of the remaining level of funding available for London as a whole; and what steps she is taking to ensure that people in the London Borough of Ealing are able to access a level of funding that is proportionate to the level of HS2 disruption in that Borough.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that all ‘line of route’ communities affected by HS2 construction, including those in the London Borough of Ealing, receive a fair share of funding through the Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF). Whilst there is no specific allocation for London as a whole, the funds are managed in a way that ensures a proportionate balance across the whole HS2 route. Awards are recorded online at:

https://hs2funds.org.uk/home/projects-funded-by-hs2-funds/

The London Borough of Ealing is a priority area for funding. HS2 Ltd and the fund administrators, Groundwork UK, have carried out community engagement in the borough to promote availability of funding and to date 18 projects have been approved, totalling over £753,000 of investment.

In the interests of ensuring that there is a fair and inclusive spread of projects there are limits on the number of applications any one organisation can make to the funds. However, local authorities play an important role in delivering outcomes supported by CEF and BLEF and greater flexibility is provided to these organisations. Currently Ealing Council has five live awards and has been granted permission to submit two further applications.