Councils are on the frontline delivering the services that people rely on and enrich our communities. I share your concerns that there is a real problem on the horizon, which risks threatening the vital help and support that people rely on. Funding from central Government has been decreasing for years, while inflationary pressures continue to add extra costs onto council budgets.

As you know, the Government is expected to make a statement on its fiscal plans on 17 November. I want to see a budget that reflects the work local authorities put into their communities, and I assure you I will follow developments closely.

As you may know, local authorities can apply for additional funding from investment programmes, such as the Levelling Up Fund, but I have serious concerns about how that funding is allocated. A report from the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee in May found that for the first round of the Levelling Up Fund, Ministers only finalised the principles for awarding funding after they knew who would win as a result.

Nor do I believe that communities should have to spend valuable time and resources to compete against each other for funding from central Government to improve their local area. In my view, they could achieve much more if they were given the power to make decisions for themselves.

I want local communities to be given more financial autonomy and greater means to grow their economies and provide better public services. As a first step, I am supporting calls for local communities to be given priority when it comes to buying assets of community value, including pubs, football clubs and high street shops. I believe this will generate revenue for communities and give them greater financial security while protecting the assets that matter to them.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this issue.