Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Funding for Deprived Areas

Monday 24 November 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Sarah Hall raised concerns about stark inequalities in Warrington, highlighting a significant gap between the most deprived and least deprived areas based on detailed statistical analysis.
  • Jo White questioned the reduction in support grants for cash-strapped authorities like Bassetlaw, noting a decrease from 66% funding commitment in 2011 to 25% in 2024.
  • The minister acknowledged the issues raised and stated that the fair funding review aims to distribute more funds to deprived areas, supported by granular data from households.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Sarah Hall Labour (Co-op) Warrington South
Economy Standards & Ethics Local Government
Context

The MP referenced internal inequalities within Warrington, where the most deprived area is ranked 899th while the least deprived ranks 33,480th, with a gap of over 32,500. She pointed out that population-weighted averages mask these disparities.

Question

In Warrington we see some of the starkest inequalities anywhere in the country. One area is ranked the 899th most deprived, and the highest position is 33,480th, a gap of more than 32,500. Those vast disparities are masked by population-weighted averages, with Warrington ranking 199th overall and only 43rd in range. Will the Minister ensure that fair funding 2.0 truly reflects vast internal inequalities, so that resources reach the communities most in need?

Answer from The Minister for Local Government and Homelessness (Alison McGovern)

I admire my hon. Friend not only for standing up for Warrington, but for her command of the statistical detail. The fair funding review will distribute more funds to deprived areas, and, as she has just demonstrated, the distribution is underpinned by granular data from households in lower-layer super-output areas consisting of between 400 and 1,200 people. That means that we can account for pockets of deprivation within more affluent areas. More broadly, I will happily work with my hon. Friend to ensure that we can stabilise Warrington council’s finances, and I will ensure that officials are in touch with the council.

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Q2 Jo White Lab Bassetlaw
Local Government
Context

The MP highlighted the impact of funding cuts on Bassetlaw District Council, noting that support grants were slashed from a 66% funding commitment in 2011 to a 25% commitment in 2024. She expressed concern about multimillion-pound damages caused by these cuts.

Question

Under the last Government, cash-strapped authorities like Bassetlaw district council saw support grants slashed from a 66% funding commitment in 2011 to a 25% commitment in 2024. The compounded damage that this has done to areas like mine can be calculated in multimillions of pounds. Many authorities are on their knees. Can the Minister explain in more detail how they will be able to plan for the year ahead?

Answer from The Minister for Local Government and Homelessness (Alison McGovern)

I know that my hon. Friend always stands up for her constituency, and that she always will. Under our proposals, shire district councils are expected to see an average funding increase of 2.7% over the spending review period. Across the Department, we will support district councils in that and other ways, and I look forward to discussing the issue in detail with my hon. Friend and her council.

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