Levelling Up

Tonia Antoniazzi Lab

Leigh

Question

Will the Secretary of State provide specific examples of how local authority areas will be supported in their efforts to level up?

Minister reply

The Government is committed to shifting power and resources towards local authorities, including publishing performance data for accountability. The White Paper outlines support through new Mayors, county deals, and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, allowing local leaders to invest in their priorities.

Lilian Greenwood Lab

Nottingham South

Question

How will the Government ensure that businesses benefit from levelling up rather than individuals being exploited?

Minister reply

The Government's focus on levelling up includes measures to support business growth, cut red tape, and secure investment. However, it also prioritises education, skills training, and housing missions to empower working people.

Nick Smith Lab

Blaenau Gwent

Question

What impact will the levelling-up strategy have on the local economy in areas such as Blaenau Gwent?

Minister reply

The strategy aims to boost economic growth, improve infrastructure and connectivity, enhance education opportunities, and invest in research and development. This should positively impact industrial regions like Blaenau Gwent by fostering business investment and innovation.

Lisa Nandy Lab

Wigan

Question

After all the delays, all the slogans and all the big promises, is this it? Is this really it? The sum total of ambition for our proud coastal and industrial—[Interruption.]

Minister reply

I have enormous respect and affection for the hon. Lady, but at the end of her response, I do not think I heard a single question, nor did I hear her disagree with a single policy that we have put forward... My right hon. Friend the Chancellor has committed £500 million to tackling adult innumeracy; we know where that funding should go first.

Peter Bottomley Con

Worthing West

Question

I say to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State that those in the south-east hope this will be successful, giving individuals opportunity and changing the economic geography of the parts of this country that need to be connected to the thriving country we hope to create together.

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and in the levelling-up White Paper there is a commitment to ensure greater devolution all round... We are also devolving more power to local authorities across the country, including through the new UK shared prosperity fund.

Tommy Sheppard SNP

Edinburgh East

Question

This is somewhat underwhelming, is it not? Not so much a dead cat as a damp squib. This might have been an opportunity to bring forward proposals for the modernisation of government in these islands... Meanwhile, in Scotland we have another Brexit betrayal: the replacement funds for the EU structural funds are falling £900 million short.

Minister reply

The short answer is no... In Glasgow University and the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow has two of the United Kingdom’s leading research universities. We are supporting and backing them.

Greg Clark Con

Tunbridge Wells

Question

What the towns and cities of our country need is ambition, investment and encouragement, not the negativity and neglect that I am afraid they have experienced under the Labour party over the years... Does the Secretary of State recognise that building on such successful policy innovations is the best way to go?

Minister reply

My right hon. Friend was a brilliant Secretary of State both for Communities and Local Government and for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy... He is also absolutely right to say that higher education is critical to the economic future of the north and the midlands.

Clive Betts Lab

Sheffield South East

Question

Asked the Secretary of State to confirm that the devolution framework in the White Paper does not include any new powers and whether it sets out a list of additional resources for local authorities.

Minister reply

The framework allows local authorities with fewer powers to acquire more, converging towards a model closer to London's Mayor. Additionally, lower-tier local authorities will have access to more resources through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Anne Marie Morris

Question

Asked if the Secretary of State would meet her to discuss levelling up health and care provision in rural areas as part of mission 7.

Minister reply

Yes, he will. The White Paper includes details on how they are proposing to tackle unfair health outcomes, including recommendations from Henry Dimbleby’s national food strategy.

Naseem Shah Lab

Bradford West

Question

Asked about the impact of not getting Northern Powerhouse Rail and cited research stating Bradford needed the most development and infrastructure support.

Minister reply

Acknowledged Bradford's areas of deprivation and expressed willingness to work with municipal leaders in Bradford to deliver for constituents.

Damian Green

Question

Welcomed the White Paper, particularly its health commitment, asking about achieving a five-year increase in healthy lifespan.

Minister reply

Agreed that addressing health inequalities is vital and outlined steps being taken, including dealing with obesity. The Health Secretary will bring forward a health inequalities White Paper later this year.

Dan Jarvis Lab

Barnsley North

Question

Asked about the need for transformational resources to address challenges highlighted in the plan and how the Government can help get additional resources from the Chancellor.

Minister reply

Expressed gratitude, acknowledged the importance of effective use of funding allocated in the spending review, and stated willingness to visit Sheffield to discuss more effective use of funds.

John Redwood

Question

Welcomed the emphasis on personal journeys and improvement of free enterprise. Asked about bringing forward a freeport for Northern Ireland.

Minister reply

Committed to additional freeports in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland with announcements forthcoming shortly.

Sammy Wilson DUP

East Antrim

Question

Welcomed the White Paper but asked how proposals would benefit people in Northern Ireland regarding education, jobs, research, housing, crime, etc.

Minister reply

Acknowledged problems with the protocol, committed to additional funding for R&D benefiting Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster. Mentioned UK community renewal funding and levelling-up funding distributed to communities in Northern Ireland.

Alicia Kearns Con

Rutland and Stamford

Question

Asked if Leicestershire’s county deal would include Rutland, which cannot apply for its own county deal.

Minister reply

Expressed willingness to negotiate a fruitful union between Leicestershire and Rutland.

Catherine McKinnell Lab

Newcastle upon Tyne North

Question

Asked about the lack of cross-Government strategy in the White Paper to tackle child poverty.

Minister reply

Acknowledged commitment to additional funding for the supporting families programme and expressed willingness to work with Newcastle City Council.

Jake Berry Con

Lanark and Hamilton East

Question

I welcome the White Paper. I am sure that the Secretary of State would acknowledge that delivering foreign direct investment is key to levelling up the north and beyond. Would he consider a 13th mission: to double FDI in the north of England by 2030?

Minister reply

May I thank my right hon. Friend? Many of the best ideas in the White Paper are the fruit of work that he and the Northern Research Group of Conservative MPs have conducted. The paper that he co-wrote for the Centre for Policy Studies, “A Northern Big Bang”, has influenced our thinking in a number of areas, not least unlocking additional private sector investment. My noble Friend Lord Grimstone, the Department for International Trade Minister, now leads the Office for Investment, and one of his missions is to increase FDI, particularly in the north and midlands.

Tim Farron Lib Dem

Westmorland and Lonsdale

Question

I thank the Secretary of State for his statement and for the White Paper, which is very thoughtfully put together—not least because the foreword by the Prime Minister is on a detachable page. That is great. One page that appears to have already been detached, however, is the bit that refers to rural Britain. I am really concerned that there is very little concern in the document for levelling up the rural parts of our country. In Cumbria, we have three-hour round trips for cancer treatment and a threat to our local A&E department, and our villages and communities are being cleared by second homes and Airbnb. I would be delighted to work constructively with the Secretary of State, and I would love if it he agreed to meet me so that we can talk about some answers to the housing catastrophe affecting not just Cumbria, but the rest of rural Britain.

Minister reply

I have to say, I agree with almost everything the hon. Gentleman said. First, it is important that we focus on rural poverty; secondly, there are unique issues in Cumbria. Local government reorganisation, with the creation of one new authority in Cumberland and one in Westmorland and Furniss, will contribute to ensuring that we have a proper focus on those, but we need to go further. He is also right that the issue of second homes and their impact on local economies is a complex one. We are not in the right place yet, and I want to work with him and other colleagues to address it.

Lia Nici Con

Great Grimsby

Question

It was wonderful to be able to welcome my right hon. Friend to my constituency this week to see the amount of levelling up that is needed and the work we are doing with our local council to achieve it. Does he agree, however, that it is about not just school education, but technical education for our young and older people—something new Labour was able to decimate very effectively when it was in power, but which is vital to matching up jobs and opportunities to level up areas such as Great Grimsby?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. If we think about the technical institute in Grimsby, which was a source of pride and high-quality further education, some of the changes that the new Labour Government made undermined that centre of excellence. One thing we are clear about in the White Paper is the importance of ensuring that further education is aligned with the needs of local employers. In Grimsby and north-east Lincolnshire, as part of the renewables revolution led by the Business Secretary, there is now a chance to ensure new jobs, investment in FE and a recognition of the link between the two, so that in Grimsby people can stay local, but go far.

Chris Matheson PC

Alyn and Deiscr

Question

I always enjoy listening to the Secretary of State, who is always very articulate and performs well at the Dispatch Box. I wish him well in the forthcoming Tory leadership election. There is an obsession, which he has illustrated today, with elected Mayors; I understand he has briefed them, but not the leaders of local authorities. In Cheshire West and Chester, the Government have taken £466 million since 2010 from our local authority, and the only way we can win funding back is by bidding to this pot or that pot, which is decided by Ministers. If he is going to increase funding for local authorities, will he please remember those areas that are not covered by directly elected Mayors, but nevertheless have outstanding leaders such as Louise Gittins?

Minister reply

I thank the hon. Gentleman. Been there, done that, got knocked back twice, so I am afraid I am not going round that course again. I will agree that it is important that we talk to all local leaders. I personally think the devolution of power to mayoral combined authorities has been a good thing, but it is not right for everywhere in this country. There are ways we can strengthen the hands of local leaders, and I look forward to doing so in Cheshire.

Edward Leigh Con

Gainsborough

Question

Gainsborough South West ward is the 24th most deprived ward in the country. I thank the Secretary of State for awarding us £10 million in levelling up, but does he agree, looking at the overall picture, that the prosperity of northern industrial towns was built not with Government money, but by entrepreneurs in the 19th and early 20th century, when regulation and taxation were a fraction of what they are now? What plans does he have, with his colleagues, to try to reduce the burden of regulation and taxation on towns in the north of England?

Minister reply

My right hon. Friend is correct; that is why I sought in my statement to emphasise that levelling up can only succeed if British business and private enterprise succeed. That means the right regulatory framework, outside the European Union, as we spelled out on Monday. There are steps we have taken and can take to ensure that we have smarter and leaner regulation.

Hilary Benn Lab

Leeds South

Question

One of the great inequalities in my constituency is the gap between those who are able to feed their families and those who are not. In every year since the Government took office the use of food banks has increased, and last year 2.5 million food parcels were given out to people who had gone up to a complete stranger and said, “Can you help me to feed my family?” What are the Government going to do to bring an end to this scandal?

Minister reply

The right hon. Gentleman makes a very important point. We have taken, and continue to take, a series of steps through the supporting families programme. We are also outlining in the White Paper some of the proposals that we are taking forward as part of Henry Dimbleby’s national food strategy, which explicitly addressed some of the particular challenges to which the right hon. Gentleman has rightly drawn attention, to ensure that people have the resources and the capacity to put healthy food on the table for their children.

Siobhan Baillie Con

Stroud

Question

I am saddened by the characteristic doom and gloom on the Labour Benches. We should be welcoming confirmation that we will be turbo-charging every single part of the UK, including the south-west, and recognising the importance of the private sector to achieving those goals will be key. In Stroud we have a fantastic town centre regeneration plan, which is backed up by recent private investment in previously long-standing empty buildings such as the Imperial Hotel and Five Valleys, and buildings in King Street. Will my right hon. Friend dispatch his levelling-up Minister to Stroud so that he can see how far the marriage between private and public money that we are hoping to achieve could go for local people?

Minister reply

The Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough (Neil O’Brien), is hereby dispatched to Stroud—first class.

Lilian Greenwood Lab

Nottingham South

Question

How can we take seriously the Secretary of State’s promise to turbo-charge places such as my city when his Government have spent 12 years draining the fuel tank and slashing the tyres? If his offer of a county deal is to deliver meaningful change, does it not need to start with restoring the £100 million that Nottingham has lost through cuts in council funding?

Minister reply

Nottingham has a bright future, and Nottinghamshire has an even brighter one, with my hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Ben Bradley) as leader of that council, leading a programme of urban development and regeneration. I look forward to working with the hon. Lady, and with my hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield, to ensure that we make Nottinghamshire great again.

Jesse Norman Con

Hereford and South Herefordshire

Question

The Secretary of State will know that Herefordshire has one of the smallest and sparsest populations and some of the lowest gross value added in this country. He will also know of my passion for the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering, which promises to offer entirely new forms of learning and teaching, lower drop-out rates, lower levels of mental ill health, and much greater inclusiveness for young people in skills-based higher education—it is the small modular nuclear reactor of higher education. Will the Secretary of State encourage this model, and will he consider, call for and initiate a review of higher education in order to regenerate cities and towns across the UK?

Minister reply

My right hon. Friend’s new model institute is a perfect model of what was envisaged by the former Member of Parliament for Orpington when he was the higher education Minister and introduced reform to ensure that we improved access to higher education, but with a particular focus on skills and jobs. I look forward to working with him and the Education Secretary to spread this model through across the UK.

Kevan Jones Lab

Durham North

Question

I thank the Secretary of State for his statement. He announced a county devolution deal for County Durham, which has lost £224 million in Government grants since 2010. At the same time, his own county council’s spending powers have gone up. Will the devolution deal replace anywhere near the £22.4 million a year that County Durham has lost?

Minister reply

I am looking forward to working with the new Conservative and Liberal Democrat Administration in Durham county—the first non-Labour Administration for many years, following on from the success of my hon. Friends the Members for North West Durham (Mr Holden), for Bishop Auckland (Dehenna Davison) and for Sedgefield (Paul Howell) in winning their seats at the last general election. Sadly, the Labour Administration of Durham County Council were responsible for significant maladministration and the waste of resources. I am convinced that the new Administration will spend taxpayers’ money better.

Johnny Mercer Con

Stretford and Urmston

Question

I commend my right hon. Friend for his statement. Since 2015, Plymouth has been on an amazing journey, with more inward investment than it has seen for decades. I echo the plea of my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Damian Green) that the levelling up of opportunities—an extension of the life chances agenda that we started back in 2015—becomes a defining issue for this Government. Will he remember the seats in the south-west? We talk about the red wall, which is all brilliant, new and exciting, but we have a real job of work to do to improve life chances in the south-west.

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. There are real pockets of poverty that we need to address in the south-west, particularly around Plymouth. The same is true in parts of the south, particularly in Portsmouth and Southampton. Although there is understandably a focus on the north and midlands, our broader focus is on moving prosperity and investment outside of London and the south-east, precisely to communities such as the one he serves so well.

Stephanie Peacock Lab

Barnsley South

Question

The Coalfields Regeneration Trust, based in Wombwell, is the only organisation dedicated to supporting former mining towns in the UK. Its vital work includes improving health outcomes, providing employment support and boosting skills for communities where levelling up is needed most. Will the Secretary of State agree to meet the trust to learn more about its work?

Minister reply

Of course, I would be delighted to.

Philip Hollobone Con

Kettering

Question

I welcome the designation of North Northamptonshire as an education investment area. Would the Secretary of State be kind enough to explain to my constituents what that will mean for educational outcomes in Kettering?

Minister reply

Children in Kettering deserve the very best start in life. First of all, that means a relentless focus on standards and discipline. It means ensuring that we have systematic synthetic phonics in primary school, and that children are fully literate, numerate and capable of going to secondary school by the time they reach the end of key stage 2. It means multi-academy trusts, which are delivering higher standards where existing schools have failed. It can also mean—I would be happy to discuss this with my hon. Friend—a new 16 to 19 sixth form like Brampton Manor or Harris Westminster, providing children from working-class backgrounds with the chance to go to the very best universities.

Alistair Carmichael Lib Dem

Orkney and Shetland

Question

I welcome the creation of the “Islands Forum” referred to on page 132 of the White Paper, and the news that the Secretary of State is to chair its first meeting—it is in his hands to ensure that it is not a talking shop. Item No. 1 on the agenda for that meeting has to be “Island future transport infrastructure needs”. The communities in Shetland are desperate to see the construction of tunnels and fixed links, and he could be the person to get the Scottish Government and the Treasury together to deliver that. Is he up for the challenge?

Minister reply

I am completely up for it. There are issues of connectivity and access to good quality services and investment in Orkney and Shetland, the Western Isles, Anglesey and the Isle of Wight. Although they are very different communities, they have shared interests. I will absolutely do what the right hon. Gentleman says.

Selaine Saxby Con

Tiverton and Honiton

Question

I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement and—I say this as a former maths teacher—for his enthusiasm for numeracy. Will he clarify how his plans will deal with large and mostly rural counties such as Devon? On average, we can look as if we do not need much levelling up, but that hides a large variance, with huge disparities in opportunity within the county.

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right; parts of Devon are relatively economically successful, but there are also areas, not least in South Molton and Barnstaple, in her constituency, where there is real poverty. One thing we are doing with the roll-out of gigabit broadband and better digital connectivity is making sure that businesses in those areas can provide better jobs and greater investment, but we will explore with the local authority in Devon what more we can do to give local leaders the powers they need to make a difference.

Mohammad Yasin Lab

Bedford

Question

The Tories have been in power for 12 years, so does the Secretary of State agree that these vague plans to raise school standards in a third of local authority areas, including Bedford borough, is an admission of unforgivable failure and that any promised investment will never make up for the cuts started when he was Education Secretary, which blighted a generation of our children?

Minister reply

As the hon. Gentleman mentions my time at Education, let me say that we protected, in real-terms, funding for schools from five to 16; we introduced a pupil premium, which meant that £250 million of additional funding was targeted on the poorest; and in Bedford we opened Bedford Free School, an outstanding school that brought opportunity to disadvantaged children in his constituency. What did the Labour party in Bedford do? It fought it every step of the way. So if he wants opportunity for people in Bedford, he should come to this side of the House, because we are the real crusaders.

Andrew Mitchell Con

Sutton Coldfield

Question

May I urge my right hon. Friend not to be downcast by the negativity of those on the Opposition Benches, but to be uplifted by the support he is receiving for his statement today from those on the Government Benches? In the west midlands, we are particularly pleased about the innovation accelerators and the smart city region programme, which can both be really effective through the galvanisation of the private sector. I am also pleased about the brownfield remediation money, which will stop the iniquitous building of houses on the green belt. May I say that we are awaiting transport money desperately needed for the royal town’s centre plans, which are being driven forward by the determination and vision of the Conservative-led Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council?

Minister reply

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right on that. I know that he was instrumental in the success of Andy Street’s election as Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority, and Andy has shown what a pro-business, pro-free market Conservative Mayor can do. My right hon. Friend is absolutely right to say that the innovation accelerator in the west midlands will be a way of harnessing all of the talent in his constituency and beyond. I listened carefully to his plea for better transport to the royal borough of Sutton Coldfield. In my view, the quicker people can get to Sutton Coldfield, the better it is for everyone. It is a beautiful royal borough with a fantastic Member of Parliament.

Deidre Brock SNP

Edinburgh North and Leith

Question

I note the intention to pilot an innovation accelerator in Glasgow. It is to be led by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Scotland Office and other UK Government Departments, from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to the Department for International Trade, but no mention is made of the Scottish Government. Can he tell me what consultation there has been with the Scottish Government on the proposal?

Minister reply

Yes. I talked to the First Minister about it last night.

Bob Blackman Con

Harrow East

Question

My right hon. Friend will be aware that, despite the regeneration programmes in London over the past 30 years, the deprived wards in London are the same ones as they were 30 years ago. Will he assure the House that this will not be used as a reason to deprive London of money, despite the inaction of the do-nothing Mayor at the moment, but that it will be new investment in the north, midlands and across the UK?

Minister reply

Yes, my hon. Friend is absolutely right; levelling up is not about dampening down the success of London or overlooking the needs of disadvantaged communities in London. It is striking that when my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister was Mayor of London the gaps in life expectancy and health outcomes between the wealthiest and the poorest parts of London narrowed. He was a one nation Mayor and he is a one nation Prime Minister.

Kim Leadbeater Lab

Spen Valley

Question

I thank the Secretary of State for meeting me recently to discuss this subject. Sadly, it was a virtual meeting so we were unable to share a packet of Fox’s biscuits together—they come from my constituency. After 12 long years, I welcome any announcement that could result in much-needed, long overdue investment in the towns and villages in Batley and Spen. Does he agree that when it comes to levelling up, it is the reality on the ground that matters and the real-world, tangible differences it makes to communities? With that in mind, will he confirm that he will accept my invitation to come to Batley and Spen, so that I can show him at first hand not only the challenges we face, but the unique opportunities that levelling-up funding could provide?

Minister reply

First, we have set out clear missions, but the hon. Lady is absolutely right to say that we need to deliver on them. We want to be held to account for that delivery and it needs to be concrete. Secondly, she has been a great champion for community organisations and their capacity to bring people together. A new approach is outlined in the levelling-up White Paper on just that, which is inspired by her work and that of my hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Danny Kruger), so of course I will accept.

David Morris

Question

Eden Project North gained planning permission on Monday. Five long years, but we got there in the end. I will put it bluntly: how can my right hon. Friend help Eden Project North? The sooner he helps me, the sooner I will shut up about it and the sooner I can get on to the next project in my constituency.

Minister reply

Eden Project North has two brilliant advocates: my hon. Friend and the Prime Minister. I know I will not be long in this job if I do not deliver for both of them.

Ian Lavery Lab

Blyth and Ashington

Question

The levelling-up programme should not just be about shiny infrastructure projects. It should be about real people and life opportunities. Life expectancy in Windlesham is 86.7 years, while in parts of my constituency it is only 72.5 years. What will the Secretary of State do about this staggering disparity?

Minister reply

I agree with the hon. Gentleman that addressing health inequalities is crucial. We need to learn from experts like Professor Michael Marmot and address long-term health scars left by industries such as mining and heavy industry.

Derek Thomas

Question

It's great news that small and medium-sized builders will get support for building 42,000 homes. Will the Secretary of State meet me and my Cornish colleagues to ensure these homes are retained by people who live in Cornwall?

Minister reply

Yes, I would be happy to meet with you and your colleagues to discuss this.

Chi Onwurah Lab

Newcastle upon Tyne Central

Question

Is today’s statement not a continuation of the Secretary of State's past remarks about 'dirty, toothless northerners'? The north-east has lost £500 on average per person. What kind of ambition is it to only catch up with London buses by 2030?

Minister reply

I am proud to be northern and I assure the hon. Lady that we are committed to working towards goals that she supports, including collaboration with local authorities in Tyneside.

Sara Britcliffe

Question

A plan for levelling-up opportunity is exactly what industrial towns need. Delivery is key—will the Secretary of State ensure shovels are in the ground?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is right about the importance of investment, business and ambition, which this White Paper aims to achieve.

Stephen Kinnock Lab

Aberafan Maesteg

Question

The all-party parliamentary group on the UK shared prosperity fund has called for no loss in transition from EU structural funds. But calculations show Wales will lose £750 million. Will the Secretary of State meet our APPG to discuss how to ensure regions do not get short-changed?

Minister reply

I would be happy to meet the hon. Gentleman and others to clarify the figures regarding the transition from EU structural funds.

Luke Evans Con

Hinckley and Bosworth

Question

Levelling up in Bosworth includes millions for Hinckley Academy, Leicestershire broadband and Twycross Zoo. Will my right hon. Friend meet all seven MPs from Leicestershire to ensure the county deal is rocket fuelled by autumn 2022?

Minister reply

We will definitely arrange a meeting with the MPs of Leicestershire to discuss these matters.

Clive Efford Lab

Eltham

Question

The Prime Minister, when Mayor of London, commissioned reports asking for more tax-raising powers. If London cannot pay for its transport system, which city can? Why is the Government standing in the way of devolution in London?

Martin Vickers Con

Brigg and Immingham

Question

My right hon. Friend visited my constituency on Monday, where we discussed a direct rail service from Cleethorpes through to King’s Cross and the need for urgent decision-making to create a level 3 authority in the county.

Minister reply

We will ensure that there is a direct train service to Grimsby and Cleethorpes and explore creating a level 3 authority.

Kate Green

Question

The Government announced £500 million for the youth investment fund in 2019, but the first £10 million of capital funding was only opened to bids recently. Will the Secretary of State urge his colleagues to speed up delivery so young people do not have to wait until 2025?

Minister reply

I will look into ensuring that the youth investment fund is delivered more swiftly.

Alun Cairns

Question

This statement contrasts favourably with Labour's wasteful spending of billions in Wales over the past 20 years. Will my right hon. Friend pay particular attention to areas in Wales that did not qualify for EU aid?

Minister reply

We will ensure that all communities in Wales, including those that did not receive EU funding, benefit from the UK shared prosperity fund.

Rebecca Long-Bailey Lab

Salford

Question

The statement lacks new funding despite enthusiasm. Even the Northern Powerhouse Partnership says true levelling up needs long-term financial backing from the Chancellor. When will we see that?

Minister reply

We have seen significant investment through the spending review.

Jason McCartney

Question

I welcome Kirklees being an education investment area and receiving extra support from the high streets task force, but can we ensure it's not just cities like Leeds that benefit but also towns such as Huddersfield?

Minister reply

Absolutely, my hon. Friend is right to highlight the importance of supporting all towns in Kirklees.

Imran Hussain Lab

Bradford East

Question

In Bradford, there's a 10-year disparity in life expectancy between inner city and affluent suburbs. The Government’s plan commits to raising health and life expectancy but does not go far enough. Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss transformative proposals from local grassroots groups?

Minister reply

I will ensure that another Minister talks to the hon. Gentleman about these issues.

Gary Sambrook

Question

Seventeen years after Blair and Brown promised jobs at Longbridge, it is now Conservative Government who have given West Works £6 million for new jobs. Will the Secretary of State visit the biggest levelling-up project in Birmingham with me?

Minister reply

The west midlands is succeeding under Conservative leadership, such as Andy Street's.

Emma Lewell-Buck Lab

South Shields

Question

In South Shields, every bid for levelling-up funding has been rejected. The Secretary of State once praised policies that meant 'the happy south stamps over the cruel, dirty, toothless face of the northerner'. Is he proud to do this again?

Minister reply

South Shields does deserve better and we will work with the North of Tyne Mayor to ensure Tyneside has the right structures and investment in place.

John Stevenson Con

Copeland

Question

In Cumbria, if there is support for a mayoral model but some opposition to it, will the Government take statutory powers to ensure that the mayoral model prevails?

Minister reply

Yes, and I cannot think of a better mayor for Cumbria than my hon. Friend.

Ben Lake PC

Ceredigion Preseli

Question

Six of the nine areas in Ceredigion rank in the bottom 10% of areas across the UK for decent broadband coverage. How will the hardest-to-reach premises, such as those in Ceredigion, be targeted for public investment?

Minister reply

I will work with the hon. Gentleman and, indeed, with the Senedd and the Welsh Government to ensure that we can roll out broadband.

Bob Neill Con

Bromley and Chislehurst

Question

Following this excellent document and having recognised the value of cultural investment, will my right hon. Friend meet me to discuss some of the exciting ways in which some of our major arts organisations, including those based in London, are prepared to participate in the levelling up throughout the whole country?

Minister reply

I absolutely will. My hon. Friend is a keen champion of arts, culture and, in particular, music.

Paul Blomfield Lab

Sheffield Central

Question

Since 2010, Conservative Governments have cut £2.1 billion in funds to Sheffield City Council. Our annual grant is £288 million lower in real terms. Today, the Secretary of State announced £13 million and described it as transformational. If that is transformational, how would he describe the money we have lost? When will he restore it?

Minister reply

I do not think that I described it as transformational; I think it was the Labour Mayor of South Yorkshire who said that it had the “potential” to be transformational.

Mary Robinson Con

Cheadle

Question

I welcome this White Paper and the multi-billion pound investments in brownfield regeneration, connectivity, research and development, and especially the innovation accelerators, which in Cheadle and across Greater Manchester will make a real difference to all those businesses that want the extra help to start up. Will my right hon. Friend say whether, as well as civic leaders, business leaders will be part of the design of the accelerator?

Minister reply

Absolutely. I had the opportunity, thanks to my hon. Friend, to visit Cheadle and indeed other parts of Greater Manchester just a fortnight ago.

Patrick Grady SNP

Glasgow North

Question

How are people in Scotland supposed to see the UK Government making spending and policy decisions in areas that are supposed to be devolved as anything other than a power grab?

Minister reply

The hon. Gentleman is a graduate of Glasgow University—

Andy Carter Con

Gower

Question

I thank the Secretary of State for his statement and welcome the radical shake-up contained in this White Paper. My ears pricked up when I heard him mention Warrington and funding for better public transport—120 new electric buses for Warrington. Thank you, Secretary of State. Does he agree that, if we want to get people into jobs, we have to provide the public transport to help them get there?

Minister reply

That is absolutely, totally, 100% correct, and it is my right hon. Friend the Transport Secretary who deserves all the credit.

Ruth Cadbury Lab

Brentford and Isleworth

Question

Hounslow is in the second most prosperous UK sub-region by gross value added, but thanks to 11 years of Government policies, 40% of Hounslow’s children live in poverty, so when will levelling up address inequality within communities as well as between them?

Minister reply

That is a very important point. What we need to do is to make sure that we work with the Mayor of London, but also with Hounslow Borough Council and those who are involved in providing opportunity for young people in the communities the hon. Member represents.

Holly Mumby-Croft Con

Scunthorpe

Question

We are under way, levelling up in Scunthorpe and we are unashamedly ambitious to do more. Can I offer a very strong invitation to my right hon. Friend to come to visit us, so we can show him what we are doing and have a chat about future opportunities?

Minister reply

Absolutely. I enjoyed visiting Grimsby and Cleethorpes earlier this week.

Mick Whitley Con

Wirral West

Question

Wirral Council is facing a budget black hole of more than £20 million. I have pledged to do whatever I can to save the fantastic public services that so many of my constituents rely on, and I am grateful to the Secretary of State for kindly agreeing to meet me and my hon. Friends from the Wirral to discuss this very serious situation. Levelling up will remain nothing more than an empty catchphrase as long as local authorities such as mine are forced to consider closing libraries, leisure centres and swimming pools. Ahead of our meeting, can he tell me if he thinks this White Paper comes anywhere close to undoing the enormous damage done to local authorities’ finances since 2010?

Minister reply

I am looking forward to a meeting. I recognise that there are real issues in the Wirral, which I hope we can work together to resolve.

Bob Seely Con

Isle of Wight

Question

I thank the Secretary of State so much for taking forward the islands forum idea. Sadly, I did not get beyond page 132, because that is where it was. Can he assure us that the forum will give a voice to islands such as the Isle of Wight to be part of the prosperity agenda in education and high-quality jobs, as well as in landscape and seascape protection for some of the most unique and beautiful parts of Great Britain?

Minister reply

Absolutely. The islands forum is an idea developed following conversations with and advocacy from my hon. Friend.

Margaret Greenwood Lab

Heywood and Middleton

Question

I welcome the Secretary of State’s commitment to meet me, my hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mick Whitley) and other Wirral MPs. Woodchurch leisure centre and swimming pool and libraries in Greasby, Irby, Hoylake, Pensby and Woodchurch are all under threat of closure because of Wirral Council having to make up to £27 million of savings as a direct result of brutal cuts from Conservative Governments since 2010, so can the Secretary of State make sure that he provides emergency funding to save these vital services?

Minister reply

I look forward to discussing that at a meeting with the hon. Lady and the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mick Whitley).

Robert Largan Con

High Peak

Question

I welcome the enhanced bus service on its way to Derbyshire, the Derbyshire county deal and the fact that Derbyshire is going to be an education investment area, on top of the future high streets £10 million for Buxton, the £137 million for the Hope Valley upgrade and the £228 million Mottram bypass, but there is a democratic deficit I am worried about. The Mayor of Greater Manchester takes decisions that have a huge impact on High Peak, but we have no say in them. What can we say to having more collaborative working, ensuring that levelling up works for everyone across regional boundaries?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend makes an important point.

Drew Hendry SNP

Inverness Nairn Highland Caithness

Question

With this scheme, the highlands are set to lose out on tens of millions of pounds compared with EU funding. The highlands have been placed in category 3—the lowest of all the categories—and face significant financial challenges in accessing the cash. This is the largest local authority area in the UK. Why are the highlands so low on this Government’s agenda?

Minister reply

The highlands are at the top of the Government’s agenda.

Rob Butler Con

Buckingham

Question

I know that my right hon. Friend believes that local leaders know best when it comes to regenerating local areas, and when it comes to Buckinghamshire, he is absolutely right. Buckinghamshire Council, which effectively created the concept of county deals, is very disappointed not to be one of the first nine, so will he tell me how soon the second tranche will be announced, because Bucks is poised to not just negotiate, but spring into action?

Minister reply

I absolutely appreciate that and Martin Tett, the leader of Buckinghamshire Council, is a first-rate local authority leader.

Justin Madders Lab

Ellesmere Port and Bromborough

Question

My constituency is repeatedly overlooked for funding, whether that is for the future high streets fund, the towns fund or the levelling-up fund, but at the same time, bids from other areas that score lower on the Government’s criteria are successful. The Secretary of State will appreciate that there is little trust that the White Paper will deliver anything for my community, so what assurances can he give me that any future bids for funding will be judged fairly and that my constituency will finally get the cash that it deserves?

Minister reply

There are clear and objective criteria for funding, but it is also the case that some local authorities may need help with building capacity to make sure that their bids are as effective as possible.

Jane Hunt

Question

This is a plan that provides opportunity and growth throughout every part of our country; I am looking particularly at mission 6, on skills training. Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is the Conservatives who really help people to get on in life?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Of course, she represents a constituency with one of the finest universities in the country and she recognises the vital importance of higher education, further education and schools working together to extend opportunity.

Stephen Farry

Question

Speaking as a former Minister in Northern Ireland, our Executive had far more control over the allocation of structural funds when we were in the EU than they do over levelling-up funds today. Does the Secretary of State recognise that the UK’s approach to levelling-up funds, particularly the shared prosperity fund, means only reduced resource for Northern Ireland and risks duplication and waste, as well as competition in the shared public space over the scarce resources that remain?

Minister reply

I respectfully disagree, but I recognise that the hon. Gentleman has a wealth of experience in this area, so I want to work with him, his party and his party’s Minister in the Executive to make sure that we minimise bureaucracy and maximise effectiveness.

Mike Wood

Question

The west midlands has some world-leading, innovative companies as well as universities and research institutions doing ground-breaking research, but public research and development investment in the west midlands has been low compared with other areas, even though for every £1 of Government investment, we have seen a private sector return of £4. How will the innovation accelerator help to close that gap?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend brilliantly encapsulates the challenge. The innovation accelerator will bring together representatives from the private sector—from business—as well as those in the outstanding universities that, as he rightly points out, are a feature of the west midlands in order to ensure that its manufacturing strengths can be leveraged more effectively. I look forward to working with him and others to achieve that.

Rachael Maskell

Question

The broken housing market is the bigger driver of inequality across York, with the boom in second homes and holiday lets. Therefore, the aspiration of the people of York is being denied. Rather than throwing us dead cats with the House of Lords, will the Secretary of State throw us a proper agenda to address the housing crisis in York?

Minister reply

Three important points. First, the hon. Lady is absolutely right that there are things we need to do to tackle the housing market, in particular the second homes issue. It is complex, as she understands, but there is more that needs to be done. Secondly, I hope she will support the proposed mayoral deal for York and North Yorkshire, which I think will give some of the powers necessary to deal with the problems she mentioned. Thirdly, the House of Lords in York, or for that matter Glasgow, would be a great thing.

Stephen Metcalfe

Question

Can my right hon. Friend confirm that, as we look forward, levelling up applies to need not geography, and that the most deprived areas in Basildon and Thurrock will see the benefits to allow south Essex to reach its full potential?

Minister reply

Yes, absolutely. We need to target need. We need to recognise that, in the south-east, London, Oxford and Cambridge are the three crown jewels generating wealth, but that there are communities that do not share in that prosperity. I should point out that one of the poorest areas, if not the poorest, in the country is Jaywick in the borough of Tendring, represented by my hon. Friend the Member for Clacton (Giles Watling). It is critically important that we work with local government leaders to address poverty wherever we find it.

Jonathan Edwards

Question

If the British Government were serious about levelling up and using Brexit freedoms, as they call them, would they not be devolving key economic levers to Wales, such as powers over VAT and corporation tax?

Minister reply

That is an interesting idea, but I am not sure the hon. Gentleman’s friends in Plaid Cymru would necessarily take an approach to VAT and corporation tax that was as pro-enterprise as I would like. The key thing is that we need to make sure the UK remains competitive overall. His constituents in Carmarthen East and Dinefwr will benefit thereby.

Damien Moore

Question

I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement today and thank him for Southport’s £38.5 million town deal. But will he ensure that jobs, growth and investment are at the heart of his levelling-up agenda and that vanity projects, such as those proposed under the active travel scheme, do not supersede them?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend makes a very important point. We of course want to encourage cycling and walking, but we need to balance that with the need to ensure that thriving economic areas such as Southport, which are at the heart of the success of not just Sefton but Greater Merseyside and Lancashire, are given the opportunity to provide the economic growth for which he has been such an effective champion.

Beth Winter

Question

The Secretary of State talks about shifting power and resources to communities. I think he made one mention of Wales. In the case of Wales, the opposite is true. These proposals ride roughshod over devolution, override our democratically elected Government and short-change us to the tune of £1 billion by 2024. The truth of the matter is that the proposals will result in further hardship and poverty for my constituents in Cynon Valley and throughout the UK. So I implore the Secretary of State to listen to my constituents and the people of this country, respect devolution and restore the missing £1 billion to Wales.

Minister reply

I respectfully disagree. When I was recently visiting Merthyr and Pontypridd, I found that actually the investment we are making through the levelling-up fund was welcomed by Labour and independent councillors in south Wales. Obviously, we need to do more not just for south Wales but for north Wales, which is why there is a commitment in the White Paper to ensure more civil service jobs move to Wrexham.

Nigel Mills

Question

I, too, welcome the investment in education and public transport in Derbyshire. While my right hon. Friend is negotiating county deals in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, will he perhaps give a little shove towards full proper devolution and a mayor for the east midlands?

Minister reply

That is definitely worth exploring. I recognise that there are particular geographical—what is the word?—issues across the east midlands, but I think the success of Andy Street in the west midlands has meant that more options are opening.

Paula Barker

Question

Since 2010, £465 million has been cut from Liverpool City Council, with £34 million in this coming financial year. Local government staff have had their pay cut by 20% since 2010 in real terms. Will the Secretary of State, if he is genuinely committed to tackling and reversing inequality, tell us when local government workers can expect a 50% pay increase like the commissioners in Liverpool City Council, or will he agree to meet me and my colleagues to look at that eye-watering decision?

Minister reply

Liverpool City Council has had a troubled past recently, but it has a new leadership committed to change and reform. The commissioners are a vital part of that process. I am more than happy to talk to the hon. Lady and other Liverpool MPs—[Interruption.] If we did not have those commissioners there, we would not be dealing with the legacy of corruption and incompetence, and whether the hon. Member for Wigan (Lisa Nandy) wants to defend that past or be part of a brighter future is her choice.

James Wild

Question

Levelling up is as relevant in North West Norfolk as it is in the north, so I welcome the invitation for Norfolk to negotiate a county deal, which I hope will see more local powers and resources. Education is at the heart of spreading opportunity, so will my right hon. Friend confirm that Norfolk’s selection as one of the new education investment areas will mean extra support and dedicated action to give more young people a good start in life?

Minister reply

Absolutely. For example, we want to ensure that the sort of model used at Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form in Norwich, which provides an excellent opportunity for children denied it in the past, is spread across Norfolk as part of our EIA initiative.

Gerald Jones

Question

Wales is set to be denied £4.6 billion as a result of the Government classifying HS2 as an England and Wales project, despite the Treasury finding that Wales would lose out on £150 million per annum as a result of HS2. That does not sound like levelling up to me. Does the Secretary of State agree?

Minister reply

I do not think Wales loses out as a result of HS2. I think north Wales in particular benefits significantly because of increased connectivity. However, I respectfully say to the hon. Gentleman that the Labour party needs to sort out its position on HS2. When the Leader of the Opposition was campaigning to be elected in Camden, he said that one of top priorities was to oppose HS2, and then when we brought forward proposals to extend HS2, he criticised them. There is an inconsistency in the Labour party’s position on infrastructure investment. I know that the hon. Gentleman’s heart is in the right place, but the Labour party’s HS2 policy currently is not.

Felicity Buchan

Question

I represent a London constituency with two of the most deprived wards in the entire country. Does my right hon. Friend agree that levelling up is also about deprived areas in our inner cities? Will he back my campaign for step-free access at Ladbroke Grove tube station?

Minister reply

Absolutely. My hon. Friend is right. One of the things that the White Paper brings out in a look at the borough of Kensington is the fact that it contains both some of the wealthiest areas in the country and some of the poorest. Without wanting to stray into another important area—although it is important to refer to it—the suffering of Grenfell families and the community around them is a reminder of our need to ensure that opportunity and security are extended to those who have suffered in the past, and they have had no better champion in this House than my hon. Friend.

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