Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Levelling Up

Wednesday 8 June 2022 · 4 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial steps include the levelling up White Paper and equality data programme to address regional disparities.
  • Katharine Birbalsingh was appointed chair of the Social Mobility Commission to tackle low expectations in rural areas.
  • Taskforce on women-led high-growth enterprises was established to help women set up new businesses and access higher-paid jobs.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jerome Mayhew Con Broadland and Fakenham
Economy Parliamentary Procedure Local Government
Context

The question follows an initial discussion on the Government's levelling-up agenda, focusing specifically on steps to support it.

Question

What steps she is taking to help support the Government's levelling-up agenda. I am concerned about ensuring that people in my rural constituency of Broadland and Fakenham have equal opportunities to succeed.

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

Our levelling up White Paper calls time on the postcode lottery and sets out far-reaching action to break the link between geography and destiny. To support that, we are delivering the equality data programme, which is our biggest and best analysis of the barriers that people face.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps for rural communities were not detailed; only a general statement was provided.

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Q2 Jerome Mayhew Con Broadland and Fakenham
Education Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The question builds on the previous one about levelling-up, focusing specifically on low expectations in Broadland's academic and economic spheres.

Question

One of the biggest problems in rural communities such as Broadland is low expectations, both academically and economically. Can my right hon. Friend explain what she is doing to take on that soft bigotry and ensure that people have an equal opportunity to succeed wherever they live, particularly in rural communities?

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

We have appointed Katharine Birbalsingh as chair of the Social Mobility Commission. She has taken on the soft bigotry of low expectations at her fantastic school, the Michaela Community School in Brent. We want her to help the whole country, including rural areas and places such as Broadland. Tomorrow, she will lay out her vision in a speech at Policy Exchange entitled “Bucking the trend: a fresh approach to social mobility”.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions for Broadland were not detailed; only broad statements about initiatives and appointments were provided.

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Q3 Anneliese Dodds Labour (Co-op) Oxford East
Women & Equalities
Context

The question follows a discussion on the government's levelling-up agenda, shifting focus to women's real wages and the gender pay gap.

Question

Does the Minister agree that her Government have levelled women down, with women's real wages now £226 less per year than when Labour left office?

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

I do not agree with that at all. We are entirely focused on tackling the causes of the gender pay gap by making it easier for people to afford childcare, normalising flexible working and helping women to get into the top jobs, particularly in areas such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics where they can earn more money.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific figures or comparisons were not provided; instead, vague commitments to tackling gender pay gap issues were stated.

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Q4 Kirsten Oswald SNP
Benefits & Welfare Women & Equalities
Context

The question highlights concerns about the impact of government policies, specifically welfare reforms, on family incomes and poverty rates.

Question

The Women's Budget Group has pointed out that women are being hit the hardest by this Tory cost of living crisis, and research from the Resolution Foundation has highlighted that the UK Government's welfare reforms will push 500,000 children into poverty. The reality is that the UK Government are pushing communities down, not levelling them up. Will the Minister ask the Chancellor to follow the example of the Scottish Government and provide families with the support they need to get through the Tory cost of living crisis?

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

What we are doing is helping more women to get into higher-paid jobs and set up enterprises. We have just set up the taskforce on women-led high-growth enterprises, led by Anne Boden, the chief executive of Starling Bank. We want to help women by giving them opportunities, including to set up new businesses.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures similar to those taken by the Scottish government were not detailed; instead, broad statements about initiatives for female entrepreneurship were provided.

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