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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral contribution of 9 January 2023 from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Official Report, column 255, on Interest Rates and Inflation: Inequality and Levelling Up, whether the additional funding to that originally forecast and increase in the pot to be shared out from £1.7bn to £2.1bn referred to in that answer constitute newly allocated money or a redistribution of funds from elsewhere in the £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund; and whether that additional funding will be provided in Round 2 of the Levelling Up Fund or used to top up projects which have been allocated funding in Round 1 of the Levelling Up Fund.

Levelling up remains a key priority for this Government. As outlined on the 9 January, the Government intends to allocate up to £2.1 billion through the second round of the Levelling Up Fund – an increase from the £1.7 billion previously referenced by the Chancellor at the autumn budget.

This funding will be awarded from the £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund. I look forward to this Government announcing the outcome of the second round by the end of January.