Chancellor Gordon Brown gave his backing to the deputy prime minister's drive for sustainable communities, in a speech designed to reassure those concerned that Prescott’s plans will be undermined by a lack of treasury funding. At the Sustainable Communities summit in Manchester he said: “The treasury and I are privileged to be associated with the challenge, led by John Prescott, of creating sustainable communities in our towns, cities and rural areas.” He added: “We are determined to drive up standards of energy and water efficiency, increase housing density and green space and tackle flood risk while protecting and increasing the area of green belt.”