Conclusion 18

We are concerned about the DLUHC’s lack of sufficient data on all aspects relating to levelling up. The Department has acknowledged that it lacks data of sufficient quality about Government department’s expenditure on the full range of levelling up funds. It also lacks data on combined authority income and expenditure. This raises the question about how the DLUHC measures success or failure in the levelling up policy, its initiatives and objectives. Taking the publication of the White Paper as a starting point, the levelling up policy has been live for over a year, and the ongoing absence of adequate data raises significant concerns about how the DLUHC can realistically take credible data-driven decisions within this policy. It further raises questions about the DLUHC’S future ability to determine whether its policy is a success.