Levelling-up Fund

Question

I welcome the £11 million from the levelling-up fund that has already gone to Rother Valley, including £4.5 million to transform Maltby. I am glad that Rotherham Council is again putting in another bid for Rother Valley to get another £9 million for Dinnington High Street. What future funding pots will be available for other parts of Rother Valley so the whole constituency can be levelled up, especially villages like Thurcroft, Swallownest and Kiveton Park?

Question

The Government's own index of multiple deprivation indicates that certain constituencies received significant funding, while areas in the top 0.5% of the index received nothing. Is this equitable, transparent, and fair? Will you meet me and my neighbour to discuss our concerns?

Question

In Newcastle, we have been waiting seven years—seven years—for real-time integrated bus information. Now the £3 billion bus improvement funding is less than half that expected and much of it is going on zero-emission buses. Will you commit to levelling up bus transport so that we are no longer under-served, overcharged and underinformed?

Question

I welcome the £11 million from the levelling-up fund that has already gone to Rother Valley, including £4.5 million to transform Maltby. I am glad that Rotherham Council is again putting in another bid for Rother Valley to get another £9 million for Dinnington High Street. Can you tell me what future funding pots will be available for other parts of Rother Valley so the whole constituency can be levelled up, especially places like Thurcroft, Swallownest and Kiveton Park?

Question

Does my right hon. Friend share my concern that smaller and rural local authorities do not have the capacity to deal with complex application processes? What steps will he take to address this?

Question

Does my right hon. Friend agree that success depends on how much money is available and distributed? Recent research by Teesside University shows a significant cut in yearly funding from £2.1 billion to £1.5 billion. In addition, cuts in his own Department's funding have hit the poorest local authorities hardest. When he produces his levelling-up White Paper, will he produce a comprehensive list of spending per head by region for each Department and show how policies change those levels?

Question

Given current media speculation about the allocation of levelling-up funding, and given that I am a Member of this House who has unfortunately had to vote against the Government on several occasions recently, will the Secretary of State reassure me on whether there is any point in North West Leicestershire reapplying for levelling-up funding? Does he agree that, were Coalville to be successful in the next round of bidding, it would demonstrate that the Government are not engaging in pork barrel politics?

Question

Analysis of levelling-up funding published recently by NPC—New Philanthropy Capital—found that despite strong public support, homelessness is not being properly addressed. It found that communities with the highest concentrations of black, African and Caribbean communities fared poorly, and that four of the most deprived communities missed out entirely. Both the Secretary of State and the Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have sought to make a supposed joke of this, but I do not think it is laughing matter that while poorer communities have missed out, the constituencies of at least three Cabinet Ministers which are considerably more affluent were successful in their bids. Beyond the jokes and the spin, does the Secretary of State honestly expect the House to believe that the Government have acted equitably rather than defaulting to the usual approach of pursuing narrow self-interest?

Question

Notwithstanding the Secretary of State's earlier comments, I am sure that he would never accuse a fellow Tory MP of misleading the House. Will he therefore comment on the veracity of the specific remarks made by the hon. Member for Hazel Grove about threats made to Tory MPs to withdraw investment from their constituencies and release negative press stories as punishment for supporting a no-confidence vote in the Prime Minister? Will he outline what investigations he intends to undertake to look into the abuse, or possible abuse, of levelling-up funds?

Question

On every single criterion, my Gosport constituency should qualify for levelling-up funding, but our recent bid for funds was unsuccessful. Quite simply, we have a small council that lacks the resources to compete with the big guys for the funding, and there is also a strong feeling that our south coast location could disadvantage us. If, as the Secretary of State said, impassioned advocacy is a recipe for attracting funding, can he please give me a glimmer of hope for the future? Will he tell me that the levelling-up White Paper will also offer us hope, and when it will be published?