Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Levelling-up and Town Centre Funding: Gillingham and Rainham

Monday 20 February 2023 · 3 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 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Levelling-up funding of nearly 5 million has been provided to the wider Medway area since 2020, including 4 million for the redevelopment of Britton Farm and Connecting Rural Kent and Medway projects.
  • The Minister reaffirmed the fair and objective distribution of funds in the Department, using different allocation methods for each fund to ensure equitable distribution.
  • The Minister responded to criticism by stating that a funding simplification plan will be published in due course.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Rehman Chishti Con
Economy Local Government
Context

The MP is inquiring about specific levelling-up and town centre funding provided to Gillingham and Rainham constituency.

Question

What levelling-up funding and town centre funding has been provided to Gillingham and Rainham constituency.

Answer from Dehenna Davison

His constituency has benefited from nearly £5 million of levelling-up funding since 2020, including £4 million from the Getting Building fund for the redevelopment of Britton Farm and the Connecting Rural Kent and Medway project, and £600,000 from the community renewal fund for the Medway Together project. His constituency will also benefit from £3.3 million that Medway Council was allocated from the UK shared prosperity fund.

Answered
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Q2 Rehman Chishti Con
Economy Local Government
Context

The question follows disappointment over the rejection of a bid for funding for the Gillingham Open Lines, despite high levels of deprivation in the area. The application was deemed to have been put forward as an outstanding bid by Medway Council.

Question

I thank the Minister for that answer, but it was for the wider Medway. I think Gillingham received £2 million with regard to the Britton Farm skills hub. Having worked very closely with Medway Council to put forward an outstanding bid for Gillingham Open Lines, covering an area with high levels of deprivation, I was disappointed to see that application turned down. It raises real concerns about fairness and a merit-based system of government, which the Prime Minister assured me would be the case.

Answer from Dehenna Davison

I will, of course, visit my hon. Friend's constituency again, after a fantastic visit just a few months ago. I should really reiterate that all the funds in the Department are distributed fairly and objectively, and that different allocation methods are used for each fund to ensure that funding reaches those who most need it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about visiting Gillingham was not addressed directly. The answer focused on general reassurances of fairness in the distribution process without confirming a visit.

How: Reiterating Fairness And Objectivity

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Q3 Steve McCabe Lab
Local Government
Context

The question arises from a Tory Mayor's statement regarding the 'begging bowl culture' after local bids were not successful in securing funds. The speaker references Druids Heath, one of the most deprived areas in the country, which was affected by these decisions.

Question

I commiserate with the hon. Member for Gillingham and Rainham (Rehman Chishti) and the people of Gillingham and Rainham for feeling let down. The Tory Mayor of the West Midlands went further. He said, after the disappointing results for his area—including Druids Heath in my constituency, one of the most deprived parts of the country—that it was time to end this “begging bowl culture”. Does the Minister agree?

Answer from Dehenna Davison

I am sure the hon. Member will be very, very pleased to read the funding simplification plan we will be publishing in due course.

Not addressed: The specific ask was not addressed; instead of responding to whether he agrees with the statement about 'begging bowl culture', the Minister mentioned a future funding simplification plan.

How: Mentioning Future Plans

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