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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to speed up the notification of the results of bids to the Levelling Up Fund; and what assessment they have made of the delay of the establishment of Marple Leisure and Community Hub in Stockport Borough.

All bids submitted to the second round of the Levelling Up Fund, including the Marple Leisure and Community Hub in Stockport Borough, have been assessed following the robust process set out in published guidance.

I appreciate that applicants, if successful, will want to begin work on their projects as soon as possible. We have notified applicants and MPs that having received such a high number of quality applications, the announcement has been delayed until the New Year to allow us to allocate additional funds - meaning up to £2.1 billion will be granted to successful bids in this round. We will therefore announce the results of the second round by the end of January 2023.