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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will take steps to provide additional financial support to local authorities that experience financial hardship as a result of projects (a) running over budget, (b) continuing beyond 2025 and (c) not realising expected returns.

The Local Government Finance Settlement makes available £54.1 billion in 2022/23 for local government in England, an increase of up to £3.7 billion on 2021/22.

Local authorities are responsible for their own financial management and for maintaining a balanced budget. The Government continues to engage with councils, and we stand ready to speak to any council that has concerns about its ability to balance its budgets. Funding for local authorities in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland is a devolved matter, and one for their respective governments to decide on.