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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria her Department will use to determine which local authorities receive funding from the Derelict Buildings Fund.

The new comprehensive £210m funding package is the first step in our effort to reinvent our high streets ahead of a comprehensive strategy to be published later this year.

Both the £125m Derelict Buildings Fund and £10m implementation support for High Street Rental Auctions will directly tackle vacancy on the high street. The Derelict Buildings Fund will be directly allocated to select local authorities to support them with some of the most challenging sites, unlocking their potential for business, housing and community use. The new £10m funding for High Street Rental Auctions will help councils accelerate and scale delivery, supporting the refurbishment of long-term vacant units. Alongside this, £65m for community ownership funding will support grassroots efforts to purchase assets and revitalise high streets.

Further details regarding these programmes, including the Derelict Buildings Fund selection methodology, will be published in due course.