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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the announcement on 24 September 2022 of Investment Zones, (a) what measures, (b) what timetable and (c) what local authority areas he is considering for the creation of those zones; and if he will make a statement.

DLUHC officials are now assessing those proposals received from the Expression of Interest process and will look to publish further information in due course.

The published guidance set out that there will be a high bar for establishing Investment Zones and the government anticipates setting up a specific number of Investment Zones where it can be demonstrated that they will have the greatest impact on growth and housing supply. The precise number of Zones will depend on factors, such as their overall geographic spread and the fiscal cost of the programme.