Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government will take to support economic growth in Wolverhampton after the covid-19 lockdown restirctions are eased.

The Government has announced a package of support for businesses to help with their ongoing business costs in recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19. This includes the Small Business Grant Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund, which as of 31 May, have paid out £38.3 million to 3,388 businesses and the recently announced Discretionary Grant Fund which will help support businesses who have fallen between support programmes at this difficult time by providing an additional £2,301,000.

Wolverhampton City Council will shortly be receiving £234,000 towards supporting their local high street get safely back to business and preparing for the reopening of non-essential retail. This is in addition to Wolverhampton being selected as one of the 100 places who are able to bid for investment from the £3.6 billion Towns Fund with the aim of driving the economic regeneration of places to deliver long term economic and productivity growth, and the shortlisting of the city for the Future High Streets Fund, with the aim of supporting transformative and structural changes to overcome challenges on our high streets. The Towns Fund and Future High Streets Fund will have an important role to play in supporting economic recovery as we move beyond the immediate crisis.

Across the Black Country, £217.75 million growth deal funding continues to support the delivery of projects aimed at job creation and growth which will be even more important as we move towards recovery of the economy and aims to create up to 5,000 jobs, delivering 1,400 new homes and generating up to £310 million in public and private investment. We continue to work closely with the Mayor for the West Midlands and other local partners to understand the impact of Covid-19 on local economies and how we can best support recovery and renewal.