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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help councils provide index-linked grants to women's centres that take account of changes in costs.

We are investing in local government. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26.

The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including, for example, supporting women’s centres. Local authorities have the flexibility to use funding in a way that responds to local needs, and can prioritise based on their own understanding of the needs of their local communities.

Women’s centres receive support and funding from numerous sources. For example, the Ministry of Justice recently announced £31.6 million of funding for women’s community and voluntary organisations to deliver specialist support to female offenders.