Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Levelling Up

Wednesday 24 January 2024 · 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 2 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • UK Government is investing more than 60 million in Dundee, identified by local partners as key priorities.
  • The UK Government has announced 1.4 billion for new levelling-up initiatives in Scotland since Brexit.
  • 9 billion has been invested by this Government into communities across Scotland since leaving the EU.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Chris Law SNP Dundee Central
Economy Scotland Local Government
Context

The MP is concerned about the level of engagement from UK Government officials with Dundee City Council and the progress on critical projects like the Eden Project and life sciences innovation district. The council has requested a roundtable meeting to discuss necessary funds.

Question

What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the future of levelling up in Scotland. The Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will meet me on Friday but not the leader of Dundee City Council who has invited him to a roundtable. Will he urge his colleague to include those critical projects in our discussions and address the lack of engagement?

Answer from John Lamont

The UK Government is investing more than £60 million in Dundee, identified as key priorities by local partners. The hon. Member mentions the leader of Dundee City Council who received £20 million for Dundee from UK levelling-up funds and recently said, “This is just the UK Government element. I'm pursuing the Scottish Government as well.” I hope the hon. Member will agree to write a joint letter with me asking, “Where is the money?”

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific projects and roundtable meeting were not addressed directly.

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Q2 Chris Law SNP Dundee Central
Economy Scotland Brexit
Context

The MP is questioning the level of levelling-up investment compared to pre-Brexit EU structural funds and seeking clarity on the current financial comparison.

Question

Can the Minister say how the specific levelling-up fund compares to what it was prior to leaving the EU, especially in relation to capital funding for projects like the Eden Project?

Answer from John Lamont

Four years since Brexit, the UK Government have announced £1.4 billion for new levelling-up initiatives in Scotland, exceeding the entire seven-year budget for EU structural and investment funds of about £780 million from 2014 to 2020.

Answered
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Q3 Tommy Sheppard SNP
Economy Scotland
Context

The MP is seeking details on the comparison between EU structural funds and current levelling-up fund allocations post-Brexit.

Question

Can the Minister say how the specific levelling-up fund compares to what it was prior to leaving the EU, particularly focusing on capital funding?

Answer from John Lamont

£2.9 billion has been invested by this Government into communities across Scotland since leaving the EU, which exceeds the previous EU structural and investment funds for Scotland from 2014 to 2020.

Answered
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Q4 Tommy Sheppard SNP
Scotland
Context

The MP is challenging the accuracy of claims that levelling-up funds exceed pre-Brexit EU structural funds, pointing out a shortfall.

Question

I am talking about specific levelling-up fund and shared prosperity fund allocations. They have given Scotland £471 million and £212 million respectively, short of the £780 million from EU structural funds. When can we have the money?

Answer from John Lamont

£2.9 billion has been invested by this Government into communities across Scotland since leaving the EU, which exceeds the previous EU structural and investment funds for Scotland from 2014 to 2020.

Not addressed: The specific shortfall in funding was not addressed directly.

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