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 her Department's guidance entitled Plan for Neighbourhoods: prospectus, published on 4 March 2025, for what reasons the programme operates on a bidding fund basis.

The Long-Term Plan for Towns programme was launched during the previous administration. It was an unfunded commitment for which the previous administration had no funded plan as to how that promise would be delivered. All 75 towns across the UK that were originally selected to receive Long-Term Plan for Towns funding will receive the Plan for Neighbourhoods package. We are making good on those commitments, giving each of the 75 places the certainty that they will receive up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade.

There are no plans to expand the programme at this time, this would be a decision for the upcoming Spending Review.

The Plan for Neighbourhoods represents a break from the competitive bidding process and micromanaging of previous regeneration funds.