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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2025 to Question 34284 on Empty Property: Shops, how many programmes in addition to the High Street Rental Auction fund are operating bidding schemes for local authorities to receive funding.

The design of the High Street Rental Auction Fund was set by the previous administration. This Government was elected on a manifesto that stressed a partnership approach with local authorities and an intention to stabilise the funding system by providing multi-year funding settlements and ending competitive bidding.

We will set out a refreshed approach to local growth funding at the multi-year Spending Review in the Spring. An approach that includes more integrated settlements, over longer term, with less central direction, more local choice and no competitive bidding.