Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Regional Growth

Tuesday 15 March 2022 · 7 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The UK Government announced a comprehensive package of investment to encourage regional growth, including the 4.8 billion levelling-up fund and the 2.6 billion shared prosperity fund.
  • The Government congratulated Damien Moore on securing a 37.5 million town deal for Southport, which will be transformative for his constituents by bringing in more private investment and creating new jobs.
  • The Minister acknowledged the positive contribution of financial services to regional growth and emphasized that two thirds of jobs in financial services are outside London and the south-east.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Damien Moore Con
Economy
Context

N/A

Question

What steps his Department is taking to encourage regional growth across the UK.

Answer from Helen Whately

At last autumn's Budget and spending review, we announced a comprehensive package of investment to level up the UK and encourage regional growth. This included the £4.8 billion levelling-up fund, the £2.6 billion shared prosperity fund and £1.6 billion of investment in the next generation of the British Business Bank's regional investment fund.

Answered
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Q2 Damien Moore Con
Economy
Context

N/A

Question

Does my hon. Friend agree that town deals are one of the most progressive ways of supporting regional growth, and that the one for Southport will kick-start our economy locally?

Answer from Helen Whately

I congratulate my hon. Friend on his hard work to secure the £37.5 million town deal for Southport, which will be truly transformative for his constituents. That funding will bring in more private investment to his constituency, building on public funding and providing new jobs and opportunities for his constituents. It will be levelling up in action.

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Q3 Catherine McKinnell Lab Newcastle upon Tyne North
Economy Benefits & Welfare Children & Families
Context

The north-east has seen rising child poverty and increased reliance on food banks.

Question

The stark reality in the north-east is that we have seen rising child poverty and reliance on food banks in recent years, and the poorest households lost £1,000 when the Government cut universal credit in the autumn. Rising prices look set to take away another £1,000 from households, before the economic impact of what is happening in Ukraine. Ahead of the spending statement next week, may I urge the Treasury please to do more to tackle the destitution that will be inevitable if nothing is done to intervene to support households in the north-east, who will then support the local economy to grow?

Answer from Helen Whately

As other Ministers have outlined, we are supporting households with the rising cost of living, including a package worth £21 billion of support. In particular we are supporting those on universal credit by reducing the taper rate to ensure that work pays. Looking further ahead, through our commitment to levelling up we are investing across the country in skills and infrastructure, with the levelling-up fund to improve growth, boost prosperity, opportunities and pay, and thereby improve people's standard of living.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific new measures to address destitution or poverty were mentioned beyond existing commitments.

How: Under Review

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Q4 Bim Afolami Con
Economy Employment Business & Trade
Context

N/A

Question

The Minister will be aware of the positive contribution that financial services can make to levelling up all over the country. With that in mind, and with the work of my all-party group on financial markets and services on levelling up, will she commit that the Treasury will work with the industry to spread opportunity within the financial services sector, to help that sector spread opportunity through all regions of this country?

Answer from Helen Whately

My hon. Friend makes an important point, and I know he is knowledgeable about this sector. It is important to remember that financial services are to the benefit of the whole country, with two thirds of jobs in financial services being outside London and the south-east. Financial services are absolutely an important part of our ambitions for levelling up.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific commitment was given beyond acknowledging the importance of financial services.

How: Working With Partners

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Q5 Tim Farron Lib Dem Westmorland and Lonsdale
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

Farmers have seen a significant drop in basic payments since December.

Question

In rural communities, especially Cumbria, we are deeply concerned about the Government's apparent lack of concern about growth in the rural parts of this country. Is the Minister aware of the enormous damage being done to farming in the UK, just at the moment when we need our farmers the most, by the reduction in basic payments? That started in December when farmers lost between 5% and 25% of their basic payment, without any availability of anything to replace it for years to come. Will she intervene now to keep basic payments where they currently are, so that we can keep Britain farming?

Answer from Helen Whately

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. I also represent a rural constituency with significant agricultural interest, and I assure him that we have protected agricultural funding through this Parliament. We are committed to levelling up across all parts of the UK, in rural as well as urban areas.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific intervention was promised beyond a general commitment to level up rural areas.

How: Committed

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Q6 Steven Baker Con
Economy Housing Local Government
Context

N/A

Question

What steps is the Minister taking with our right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ensure that areas that need levelling up are able to attract private sector investment?

Answer from Helen Whately

That is a very important point. Levelling up is not just about public sector investment—indeed, the lion's share of investment in future growth in our economy will come from the private sector. One important thing that the British Business Bank is doing with its regional fund is crowding in private sector investment, so that we will get more private sector investment on top of the public sector investment we are putting in.

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Q7 Dan Jarvis Lab Barnsley North
Economy
Context

The shared prosperity fund could be a means of encouraging regional growth, but only if it is allocated where needed.

Question

The shared prosperity fund could be one of the Government's most effective means of encouraging regional growth across the UK, but only if the investment goes where it is most needed. Does the Minister believe that the Treasury should apply the funding commitments that were rightly made to Cornwall also to the Tees Valley as well as to South Yorkshire?

Answer from Helen Whately

We are making a substantial investment through the shared prosperity fund and other funds across the country. We have committed to ensuring that the shared prosperity fund will be at least as much as parts of the country received before through EU funding, and I am committed to the hon. Gentleman's area just as much as to Cornwall and other parts of the UK.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific commitment was given beyond a general statement of intention.

How: Committed

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