Written question asked by Shivani Raja (Conservative) on Thursday, 4 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 10 June 2026 (named day). It was answered by Nesil Caliskan (Labour) on Wednesday, 10 June 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Local Government Finance

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria an area must meet to be eligible for a multi-year growth fund allocation; and whether areas that have submitted an expression of interest in devolution but have not yet established a combined authority are eligible to apply.

Answer: The Local Growth Fund targets 11 Mayoral Strategic Authorities in the North and Midlands with the highest productivity catchup and agglomeration potential. There were two eligibility criteria: 1) places must have had an existing Mayoral Strategic Authority at the point when the fund was announced, 2) their GDP per head was below the UK average. Further information on the place selection methodology is available here. The totality of the Local Growth Fund has now been allocated and any future funding will be subject to fiscal events.

Secondary information