The Department explained that because of Covid-19 and the recent demands that have been placed on local government, the private sector and other members of the Town Deal Boards, it has left towns and the Town Deal Boards to determine which wave of funding they wanted to work towards.51 While the Department wants to maximise private sector co-investment, the impact of Covid-19 may reduce the ability of towns to secure match funding from other sources.52 46 Qq 33, 57 47 Q 28 48 Qq 74, 91 49 Q 67 50 Qq 68–70 51 Q 77 52 Q 74 Selecting towns for the Towns Fund 15