Levelling-up White Paper Impact on Regional Inequality 2022-03-07
2022-03-07
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Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The levelling-up White Paper has been proposed to address regional inequality in the UK.
What assessment has been made of the impact of proposals in the levelling-up White Paper on regional inequality across the UK?
The proposals in the levelling-up White Paper are already reducing regional inequality. Whether it is through urban regeneration, new education investment areas, or addressing health inequality, this Government are making progress to make opportunity more equal for all.
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Assessment & feedback
No specific assessment of impact on regional inequality was provided.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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The hon. Member is working on levelling-up fund bids for railway line upgrades and regeneration of disused mills in his constituency.
When will details be shared about the next round of levelling-up fund bids that are transforming constituencies like Colne Valley?
Colne Valley and Kirklees broadly have a strong advocate in the hon. Friend, with his bid having much merit. The Secretary of State for Transport and Chancellor will discuss what can be done, but more details will be shared when the Chancellor makes his spring statement.
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Assessment & feedback
Details on timing were not provided.
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Q3
Partial Answer
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The hon. Member is working on a masterplan for Lye, an historic market town in her constituency that needs regeneration.
Will my right hon. Friend support me in encouraging constituents to participate in the consultation for the levelling-up fund bid?
The proposition that she puts forwards, increased community involvement in town masterplanning, is at the heart of our approach towards redevelopment. The constituency of Lye has few more attractive parts and we encourage this proactive approach.
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Assessment & feedback
No commitment on support for local residents to engage was provided.
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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The UK Government have signed a memorandum of understanding with Wrexham and Denbighshire councils for £13.3 million levelling-up projects.
How does the Secretary of State see these levelling-up fund projects addressing regional inequality in north Wales?
North Wales has been neglected under previous Labour Governments. The Conservative Administration is making sure communities like Wrexham and Llangollen get the investment they deserve, and we want to ensure that the whole north Wales corridor becomes a supercharged corridor for growth.
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Assessment & feedback
No specific clarification on addressing regional inequality was provided.
Response accuracy
Q5
Direct Answer
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The Government's White Paper is ambitious but the hon. Member questions whether the available tools are appropriate.
Is the Secretary of State concerned that the tools he has to address regional inequality are limited spending pots, disjointed, and distributed via an inappropriate bidding process?
I do.
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Assessment & feedback
null
Response accuracy
Q6
Partial Answer
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Context
The hon. Member's constituents in Fleetwood have not seen tangible benefits from levelling-up initiatives.
When can Fleetwood residents expect to see the benefits of levelling up, given that applications for various funds have been rejected?
Absolutely. I am more than happy to talk to Lancashire County Council and, indeed, to the hon. Lady about how we can ensure that levelling-up funds flow to her constituents.
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Assessment & feedback
No specific timeline for benefits was provided.
Response accuracy
Q7
Partial Answer
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Context
The hon. Member has requested £900 million for South Yorkshire to match shared prosperity fund commitments.
Can the Secretary of State provide an update on the £900 million request for South Yorkshire?
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for the points that he makes. We will be updating the House on our progress towards ensuring that replacement EU funding is available along the timeline of the spring statement.
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Assessment & feedback
No specific update on £900 million was provided.
Response accuracy
Q8
Partial Answer
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Context
Analysts at Oxford Economics have criticized the levelling-up White Paper, stating it contains little that is new or significant and fails to revise national and regional growth forecasts. The paper aims to address regional inequalities by bringing good jobs back to communities and transferring power from central government to local areas.
The reality is that the rhetoric is just not matching up to what the Government say they want it to deliver, but those analysts at Oxford Economics are not fooled. They say the levelling-up White Paper contains little that is new or significant. That is a damning indictment. What we needed was a plan to bring good jobs back to all communities to breathe life into our high streets and to transfer power from Whitehall to local communities. This White Paper is not going to address regional inequalities, is it?
The hon. Gentleman said that the rhetoric is not matching up to the delivery, which suggests actually that we are underselling what we are doing. A plethora of organisations from Onward to the Institute for Public Policy Research have pointed out that everything in the levelling-up White Paper is what Labour should have been doing when it was in power.
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Assessment & feedback
Specifics about addressing regional inequalities were not provided; response criticized critics without addressing the question directly.
Criticized Critics
Disagreed With Criticism
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Q9
Partial Answer
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Context
Scotland was promised £1.5 billion annually post-Brexit, but only £172 million has been announced so far, meaning that Scotland is being short-changed by 89%.
Scotland was promised £1.5 billion a year when the UK left the European Union, as part of a so-called Brexit bonanza. In reality, only £172 million has been announced so far. That means that, for every pound promised to Scotland, only 11p has been committed. Can the Secretary of State explain why Scotland is being short-changed by 89%, and will he tell us when that shortfall will be addressed?
We want to welcome more bids to the levelling up fund from Scotland; indeed, we are in discussion with Scottish local authorities and others about the distribution of the UK shared prosperity fund. North Ayrshire's Member of the Scottish Parliament and the hon. Lady herself have been uniquely successful in securing funding from the levelling-up fund.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not explain why Scotland's Brexit funding is short-changed or provide a timeline for addressing this issue.
Changed Subject To Discussing Successful Bids
Response accuracy