Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Pride in Place: Community Spaces

Monday 13 April 2026 · 5 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Hon. Friend noted that many places in phase 1 have chosen to spend Pride in Place funds on community spaces.
  • Fair funding will provide a significant increase for Enfield council, in line with deprivation levels.
  • The funding was distributed according to data provided by the indices of multiple deprivation, targeting the most deprived areas.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Feryal Clark Lab Enfield North
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The MP is concerned about the potential benefits of Pride in Place funding for local community spaces.

Question

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Pride in Place funding on community spaces.

Answer from Steve Reed

The Hon. Friend visited Enfield Wash during Easter recess and noted that many places in phase 1 have chosen to spend their funds on community spaces, which allows communities to come together and articulate their aspirations for the future.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific assessment or data was provided on the impact of Pride in Place funding on community spaces.

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Q2 Feryal Clark Lab Enfield North
Local Government
Context

The MP is responding to the Secretary of State's visit to Enfield Wash, a deprived area. She highlights significant budget reductions over 14 years, impacting social care and youth services, despite efforts by the Labour council to support residents.

Question

After 14 years of Conservative cuts, Enfield lost around 60% of its funding, hitting vital services such as adult social care, youth services and our high street. Despite the cuts, Enfield Labour council has worked tirelessly to protect residents and support the most vulnerable. Does my right hon Friend agree with me and our brilliant Labour council leader Ergin Erbil that fair funding is essential for these areas?

Answer from Steve Reed

Fair funding will provide a significant increase for Enfield council, in line with deprivation levels. The additional Pride in Place funding for two of the most held-back areas will allow them to take control of their own futures.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary did not specifically acknowledge or disagree with the MP's concerns about previous cuts and current efforts by the Labour council.

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Q3 Gavin Williamson Con Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge
Local Government
Context

Staffordshire county council area is facing a challenge with community spaces despite being eligible for additional investment through Pride in Place. The lack of local authorities' eligibility under this programme raises concerns about potential gerrymandering and the need to reconsider opportunities for Staffordshire.

Question

In the Staffordshire county council area we have amazing community spaces, but they would benefit from additional investment, and Pride in Place would have been a great way to allocate it. Sadly, none of the local authorities in that county council area is eligible for Pride in Place, and the result feels a little like gerrymandering, but I am sure that that is not the case. Will the Secretary of State commit to looking afresh at whether there is any opportunity for Staffordshire not to be forgotten by this Government?

Answer from Steve Reed

Through fair funding, Labour is ensuring that funding goes where deprivation is highest. The previous Prime Minister, the right hon. Member for Richmond and Northallerton (Rishi Sunak), stood up in a leafy garden in Tunbridge Wells and boasted about how the Conservatives were taking money away from deprived areas to use it for what I can only assume was gerrymandering.

Not addressed: Reviewing Staffordshire's eligibility for Pride in Place funding

How: Attacking Previous Government

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Q4 Sonia Kumar Lab Dudley
Community Security Culture, Media & Sport Children & Families
Context

Pride in Place funding in Dudley is being divided between two constituencies, raising concerns about dilution and the impact on communities with high levels of deprivation. There's a need for tangible improvements to be seen from this investment.

Question

The Pride in Place funding in Dudley is being divided between two constituencies, risking the dilution of its impact. Given the high levels of deprivation among many of my constituents, what steps will my right hon. Friend take to ensure that communities in Dudley fully feel the transformational benefits of the investment and see tangible improvements? Will he meet me to discuss how we can crowd in funding?

Answer from Steve Reed

Of course, the most exciting thing about Pride in Place is that communities themselves, rather than politicians, make the decisions about how the money is spent. They will come together, from across the area that is benefiting from the funding, to decide what they want to do to put pride back into a place that had pride ripped out of its heart by the Conservatives.

Not addressed: Steps for ensuring communities in Dudley benefit from Pride in Place funding and meeting to discuss additional opportunities

How: Attacking Previous Government

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Q5 John Milne Lib Dem Horsham
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

There are real concerns that rural areas, such as those mentioned by groups like the Rural Services Network and Plunkett UK, may be left behind due to a lack of targeted funding for key rural assets. Groups advocate for a £10 million rural community ownership fund.

Question

There are real concerns that Pride in Place is just another example of this Government's blind spot on rural areas. Groups such as the Rural Services Network and Plunkett UK warn that villages are being left behind. Key rural assets are disappearing fast, and Plunkett is calling for a targeted £10 million rural community ownership fund to help. What are the Government doing to ensure that rural communities are not left out again?

Answer from Steve Reed

Of course, the funding was distributed according to data provided by the indices of multiple deprivation, so it is going to the most deprived areas, wherever they may lie in the country—be it in urban or rural areas. The fair funding review also ensured that funding targeted the areas that needed it most and were most deprived of it by the previous Government. It included a measure on rurality to ensure that rural areas get their fair share.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures for preventing rural communities from being overlooked in Pride in Place funding

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