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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department is taking steps to help prevent the misuse of Pride in Place public funds in (a) the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and (b) other local authorities.

On 25 September, the Government launched its overarching Pride in Place Strategy, committing up to £5 billion in funding and support to 339 communities. The flagship Pride in Place Programme will provide up to £20 million in flexible funding and support to 244 neighbourhoods over the next decade. This will serve as the cornerstone of this Government’s support for communities. Alongside this, the £150 million Pride in Place Impact Fund complements the longer-term Pride in Place Programme. It provides short-term funding for immediate improvements to make sure that the places and spaces valued by communities are improved and match the pride people feel for their local areas.

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is not currently a funded area under either Phase 1 or Phase 2 of the Pride in Place Programme, and does not receive funding from the Pride in Place Impact Fund.

The Government has put in place robust governance and assurance arrangements to safeguard public funds and prevent misuse across all selected neighbourhoods, with funding delivered through the relevant local authorities acting as the accountable bodies. Programme assurance follows a three lines of defence model, with the first line provided by local authority Chief Financial Officers, the second by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through proportionate, risk-based checks, and the third by MHCLG’s independent auditors.

For the Pride in Place Programme, each place must establish a Neighbourhood Board and produce a 10-year Pride in Place Plan, which is subject to approval by the MHCLG and must set out how the activity will be pursued to achieve the three strategic objectives of the programme. MHCLG’s Communities Delivery Unit provides each neighbourhood with a named official to monitor delivery, support governance and escalate any concerns.

For the Pride in Place Impact Fund local authorities are tasked with working with local stakeholders to identify and invest in interventions that meet local need. They will receive an area’s allocation to manage, including assessing and approving any onward grant disbursement, processing payments and day-to-day monitoring.