Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Local Growth Funding

Monday 20 January 2025 · 2 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 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Local Growth Funding was the topic of Ministerial Questions on 2025-01-20.
  • Jas Athwal inquired about Government support for small and medium-sized businesses in Ilford.
  • Elaine Stewart questioned the slow progress in local delivery of the Ayrshire growth deal worth over a quarter of a billion pounds.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jas Athwal Lab Ilford South
Business & Trade
Context

Ilford is a hub of regeneration with numerous small and medium-sized businesses, contributing to the local economy. The question seeks details on Government measures to support these businesses.

Question

Ilford is a hub of regeneration, offering opportunities to independent businesses in new spaces such as Mercato Metropolitano. Ilford has thousands of small and medium-sized businesses that make our high streets more vibrant and offer choice to locals. What are the Government doing to support those businesses so that they can thrive on our local high streets?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Alex Norris)

As has been a theme of earlier questions, revitalising our high streets is a priority for this Government. We have announced a number of measures, including permanently lowering business rate multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure properties from 2026-27, introducing high street rental auctions and providing additional funding to tackle retail crime, all of which will support businesses and our high streets.

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Q2 Elaine Stewart Lab Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
Economy Business & Trade Local Government
Context

The Ayrshire growth deal is a multi-billion-pound initiative to stimulate economic development in the region but has faced delays. The MP seeks clarity on steps being taken to expedite its implementation.

Question

The Ayrshire growth deal, worth over a quarter of a billion pounds, has the potential to stimulate growth and create jobs across the region, yet local delivery of the ambition is slow and stagnant. What message would the Minister send to spark action from the three Conservative-SNP run administrations in the region so that Ayrshire can realise its potential as a world-class business region?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Alex Norris)

I am sorry to hear that. For our part, the UK Government are working closely with local partners and the Scottish Government to deliver the Ayrshire growth deal, which, as my hon. Friend says, is worth over a quarter of a billion pounds. As part of that, we are supporting a programme review so that, if any strategic changes are needed to ensure that the originally envisaged benefits are realised, they are made. On the message that she asks for, we need to move at pace, exactly as the Government have committed to do, so that the people of Ayrshire get what was promised.

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