Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Levelling-up Fund

Monday 21 November 2022 · 8 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 8 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government remains committed to the levelling-up fund and will allocate at least 1.7 billion in the next round.
  • The Minister cannot comment on the merits of individual bids at this stage but will inform applicants of the outcome in due course.
  • The Government is working with local authorities to help support them to deliver their bids to the maximum potential.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Grahame Morris Lab Easington
Economy Parliamentary Procedure Local Government
Context

Communities are awaiting investment from the levelling-up fund, particularly in Easington constituency.

Question

When will successful bids from the levelling-up fund round 2 be announced?

Answer from Dehenna Davison

The Government remain committed to the levelling-up fund and will allocate at least £1.7 billion in the next round to priority infrastructure projects. I look forward to announcing the outcome of round 2 before the end of the year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific date for announcement, only stated it would be before the end of the year.

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Q2 Grahame Morris Lab Easington
Parliamentary Procedure Local Government
Context

Communities are awaiting investment from the levelling-up fund, particularly in Easington constituency.

Question

Could the Minister give a date for approving the Easington bid sooner rather than later?

Answer from Dehenna Davison

At this stage I cannot comment on the merits of individual bids, but he will be informed of the outcome in due course.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific date for approving the Easington bid, only stated it would be informed at a later time.

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Q3 William Wragg Con
Local Government
Context

Local communities are awaiting investment from the levelling-up fund, particularly for projects such as Marple active communities hub.

Question

Could the Minister confirm that she will approve the Marple bid sooner rather than later?

Answer from Dehenna Davison

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising his bid, but at this stage I cannot comment on the merits of individual bids.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not confirm approval of the Marple bid or provide a timeline for its approval.

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Q4 Ronnie Cowan SNP
Economy Parliamentary Procedure Local Government
Context

Communities are awaiting investment from the levelling-up fund, particularly in Inverclyde.

Question

Could the Minister confirm a date for announcing successful bids?

Answer from Dehenna Davison

The hon. Member will know that, in round 1 of the levelling-up fund, the amount that went to Scotland was above the Barnett formula calculations. Round 2 will be coming in due course.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific date for announcing successful bids.

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Q5 Chloe Smith Con
Local Government
Context

Communities are awaiting investment from the levelling-up fund, particularly in Mile Cross.

Question

Could the Minister and Secretary of State throw their support behind the bid in Mile Cross?

Answer from Dehenna Davison

At this stage, I cannot comment on the merits of individual bids, but she is a great, passionate advocate for her constituency and we will be announcing the results in due course.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide support or confirmation for the Mile Cross bid.

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Q6 Dan Jarvis Lab Barnsley North
Economy
Context

Communities are awaiting investment from the levelling-up fund, particularly in Barnsley.

Question

Could the Minister commend and support the Barnsley Central bid?

Answer from Dehenna Davison

I am very grateful to the hon. Member for his pitch, but at this stage I cannot comment on the merits of individual bids.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not support or confirm approval of the Barnsley Central bid.

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Q7 Kit Malthouse Con North West Hampshire
Economy Parliamentary Procedure Local Government
Context

Communities are awaiting investment from the levelling-up fund, particularly in areas like Andover.

Question

Could the Minister confirm that she will consider the needs of less prosperous areas within prosperous regions?

Answer from Dehenna Davison

Levelling up is not something that can be simplified purely by region or by north and south, and there are pockets all over the country that need to benefit from funds such as the levelling-up fund. I know how much of a passionate advocate he is for the Andover bid.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not confirm specific consideration or approval for less prosperous areas within prosperous regions.

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Q8 Alex Norris Labour (Co-op) Nottingham North and Kimberley
Economy
Context

The autumn statement confirmed that round two of the levelling-up fund is frozen in cash terms, leading to a significant erosion of its value due to inflation. This raises concerns about the quality and scope of winning bids.

Question

The autumn statement confirmed that round two of the levelling-up fund is to be frozen in cash terms, meaning that the Government's inflation crisis has significantly eroded the value of the fund in real terms. The Government must now either reduce the quality and scope of the winning bids, or accept fewer bids—which will it be?

Answer from Dehenna Davison

This is an incredibly difficult time for economies across the world, based on global factors. We are working with local authorities to see how we can help support them to ensure that they deliver their bids to the maximum potential. We have made adjustments to the project adjustment request process, to make it easier for local authorities to take that autonomy and make decisions about what is right for their community.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific plans regarding reducing bid quality or scope were not addressed.

How: Working With Local Authorities, Making Adjustments To The Project Adjustment Request Process

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