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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which principal councils are making up the funding shortfalls of town and parish councils resulting from the loss of income from leisure facilities and community centres since the COVID-19 pandemic began; and what guidance they are giving to principal councils on this matter.

The Government is very grateful to all parish and town councils and to their members and clerks for the vital work they are doing to support communities.

The Department is working to understand the financial pressures that Covid-19 is placing on all local authorities, including parish and town councils. The Department will also continue to work with DCMS and local government, including with representative bodies for parish and town councils such as the National Association of Local Councils over the coming weeks to ensure the sector as a whole is managing as the pandemic progresses.

The Government does not have powers to offer direct financial support to parish and town councils, which are largely funded through a precept collected from within the overall council tax paid by the residents of the parish or town. We have strongly encouraged all parish and town councils to speak to their principal authority (district or unitary council) and have encouraged those authorities to facilitate those discussions where parish and towns are performing Covid-19 related services.