Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Levelling-up White Paper: Impact on Regional Inequality

Monday 7 March 2022 · 9 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 7 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The proposals in the levelling-up White Paper are reducing regional inequality across the UK.
  • More details about the next round of levelling-up fund bids will be shared when the Chancellor makes his spring statement.
  • The Secretary of State acknowledges that the tools to address regional inequality may be limited and disjointed.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Simon Baynes
Education Economy
Context

The levelling-up White Paper has been proposed to address regional inequality in the UK.

Question

What assessment has been made of the impact of proposals in the levelling-up White Paper on regional inequality across the UK?

Answer from Michael Gove

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.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific assessment of impact on regional inequality was provided.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Jason McCartney Con
Economy Local Government
Context

The hon. Member is working on levelling-up fund bids for railway line upgrades and regeneration of disused mills in his constituency.

Question

When will details be shared about the next round of levelling-up fund bids that are transforming constituencies like Colne Valley?

Answer from Michael Gove

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.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Details on timing were not provided.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q3 Suzanne Webb
Economy Parliamentary Procedure Local Government
Context

The hon. Member is working on a masterplan for Lye, an historic market town in her constituency that needs regeneration.

Question

Will my right hon. Friend support me in encouraging constituents to participate in the consultation for the levelling-up fund bid?

Answer from Michael Gove

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.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No commitment on support for local residents to engage was provided.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q4 Simon Baynes
Economy Wales Local Government
Context

The UK Government have signed a memorandum of understanding with Wrexham and Denbighshire councils for £13.3 million levelling-up projects.

Question

How does the Secretary of State see these levelling-up fund projects addressing regional inequality in north Wales?

Answer from Michael Gove

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.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific clarification on addressing regional inequality was provided.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q5 Clive Betts Lab Sheffield South East
Economy
Context

The Government's White Paper is ambitious but the hon. Member questions whether the available tools are appropriate.

Question

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?

Answer from Michael Gove

I do.

Answered

Not addressed: null

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q6 Cat Smith Lab Lancaster and Wyre
Economy Local Government
Context

The hon. Member's constituents in Fleetwood have not seen tangible benefits from levelling-up initiatives.

Question

When can Fleetwood residents expect to see the benefits of levelling up, given that applications for various funds have been rejected?

Answer from Michael Gove

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.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific timeline for benefits was provided.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q7 Dan Jarvis Lab Barnsley North
Brexit
Context

The hon. Member has requested £900 million for South Yorkshire to match shared prosperity fund commitments.

Question

Can the Secretary of State provide an update on the £900 million request for South Yorkshire?

Answer from Michael Gove

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.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific update on £900 million was provided.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q8 Alex Norris Labour (Co-op) Nottingham North and Kimberley
Economy Parliamentary Procedure Local Government
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.

Question

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?

Answer from Michael Gove

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.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specifics about addressing regional inequalities were not provided; response criticized critics without addressing the question directly.

How: Criticized Critics, Disagreed With Criticism

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q9 Patricia Gibson SNP
Scotland Brexit
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%.

Question

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?

Answer from Michael Gove

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.

Not addressed: Did not explain why Scotland's Brexit funding is short-changed or provide a timeline for addressing this issue.

How: Changed Subject To Discussing Successful Bids

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email