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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the policy paper entitled Our Long-Term Plan for Towns, published on 1 October 2023, whether it is her policy to continue the £20 million endowment-style fund for each town.

This Government is committed to delivering growth in every corner of the country, by empowering communities to find local solutions to national priorities. However, as you will appreciate, the Government has inherited an extremely difficult fiscal environment and has a responsibility to fix the foundations of our economy, to ensure economic stability.

The department will set out further details on funding, next steps, and confirmation of the revised timelines in due course.