Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support the continued expansion of the Local Energy Programme.

The Local Energy Programme was launched as part of the Clean Growth Strategy in 2017, with £4.7 million funding. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has provided further funding in subsequent years, bringing the total funding for the Local Energy Programme to almost £20 million to date. This funding has been used to support Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), local authorities and communities in England to play a leading role in decarbonisation and clean growth. The programme has funded the development of an energy strategy for every LEP in England and established five Local Energy Hubs across England, which provide LEPs and local authorities with access to expertise to help develop and secure investment in low carbon projects. It also includes the £10 million Rural Community Energy Fund, delivered through the Hubs, which offers grants to community organisations in rural areas to support the initial stages of development for renewable energy projects. BEIS continues to work with the Local Energy Hubs, LEPs and local authorities, to enable a joined-up approach to decarbonisation and clean growth.