Recommendation 19

During our evidence session we questioned the Department about how local authorities were supported to deliver their projects and what it is learning from this.49 As part of its simplification plans the Department told us it has allowed ten local authorities who are receiving money from multiple funds to each pool their funds so they can manage their projects collectively.50 We queried what the Department had learnt from these so- called pathfinder pilots. It told us it was still relatively early days for the pathfinders, but it planned to publish what it has found later this year. The Department also hoped to use 42 Q 84 43 Q 55 44 Q 91 45 Q 50 46 C&AG’s Report Para 1.16 footnote 8 47 C&AG’s Report 1.16 48 Correspondence from Permanent Secretary, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, dated 29 January 2024 49 Qq 10, 16, 89 50 Q 91; C&AG’s Report 1.17 16 Levelling up funding to local government the findings to inform its approach to the next spending review.51 Similarly, when the Department talked about the 30% project flexibility, it told us it was ‘early days’ but it would consider this policy and any learning from it in conjunction with the pathfinders.52