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

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have encouraged principal councils to provide financial support to parish and town councils from the funding they have received from the Government; and if so, (1) how, (2) what guidance they have provided, and (3) when any such guidance was issued.

The Government does not have powers to offer direct financial support to parish and town councils, which are funded through a precept collected from within the overall council tax paid by the residents of the parish or town. The Secretary of State has written to principal authorities encouraging them to discuss funding issues with parish councils where parishes are performing covid-related services. In addition the department has written to parish councils encouraging them to engage with their principal council to discuss access to funding. The Government has provided £8 billion of un-ringfenced support to local authorities since the start of the pandemic, recognising that local authorities are best placed to decide how to meet the major service pressures in their local areas.