Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Northern Towns: Funding

Tuesday 20 May 2025 · 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 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Andy MacNae asked about increasing funding for northern towns, emphasizing the need for small towns to benefit from major infrastructure investments.
  • Tim Farron inquired about funding for services supporting residents and visitors in Cumbria, highlighting the region's role as the UK's biggest visitor destination outside London.
  • Paul Foster suggested moving Treasury officials to northern towns to better address local infrastructure needs.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andy MacNae Lab Rossendale and Darwen
NHS Economy Local Government
Context

The MP is concerned about the historical trend of small towns being left behind despite needing investment most.

Question

What steps she is taking to increase levels of funding for northern towns. At the same time, history tells us that small towns can far too easily get left behind and not feel the benefits of major infrastructure investment, despite being communities that need change the most. Does the Chancellor agree that as we implement our investment and growth strategy, and deliver the review of the Green Book, we must put our left-behind communities first? As part of every major investment decision, we should ask what does this do for our most deprived and left-behind neighbourhoods?

Answer from The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rachel Reeves)

My hon. Friend is a proud champion of the towns and villages of Rossendale and Darwen. We will make sure that we use our Green Book review to properly assess the benefit of all this Government’s investments. On top of that capital investment, the people of Rossendale and Darwen are benefiting from the 3 million additional appointments that we have delivered, which have led to reductions in NHS waiting lists, and also the increase in the national living wage.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Chancellor did not directly address prioritising left-behind communities specifically but mentioned using the Green Book review to assess benefits properly.

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Q2 Tim Farron Lib Dem Westmorland and Lonsdale
NHS Economy Transport
Context

The MP represents an area that sees over 20 million visitors annually but lacks adequate funding support.

Question

Will the Chancellor look at funding allocations to make sure that services that support both residents and visitors are properly funded? The towns and villages of the lakes and dales in Cumbria are proud to host 20 million visitors every single year—we are the UK’s biggest visitor destination outside of London—yet we get almost no support whatsoever for the costs incurred by those visitors on our highways, health services, and police.

Answer from The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rachel Reeves)

The Green Book reforms will ensure that we properly assess the benefits of investments in different parts of the UK, but the people of Cumbria and the lakes will benefit from the record investment in the NHS, the roll-out of nurseries and free breakfast clubs at primary schools, as well as the increase in the national living wage.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Chancellor did not address funding allocations for visitor services specifically but discussed broader benefits to the area.

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Q3 Paul Foster Lab South Ribble
Economy Transport
Context

The MP suggests moving Treasury offices to northern towns to encourage investment in infrastructure.

Question

One way to get Treasury officials to start focusing more on northern towns would be to move the Treasury up north. After experiencing our rail networks and infrastructure, they may very quickly invest more money in the area. Are there any plans to move any Treasury offices to the north?

Answer from The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rachel Reeves)

This Government have committed to increasing the proportion of civil servants who work in the north of England. But we already have a hub that we are expanding in Darlington, where eight Departments work, including officials from the Treasury. The Treasury is very mindful of the importance of investing right across the north of England—in Darlington, Leeds, Cumbria, Rossendale and Darwen and many other constituencies beside.

Answered
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Q4 Martin Vickers Con Brigg and Immingham
Economy Transport
Context

The MP is concerned about the funding for improvements to the A180 and rail services in his area.

Question

The prosperity of northern towns is very much dependent on good transport connections. Will the Chancellor ensure that National Highways is adequately funded, so that it can improve access to the port and town of Immingham through improvements to the A180, and also that the Department for Transport has adequate funds to meet the modest amount that is needed to fund an extension of the King’s Cross to Lincoln train service through to Grimsby and Cleethorpes?

Answer from The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rachel Reeves)

I shall make sure that the Transport Secretary hears those requests, but the hon. Gentleman knows that our investment in British Steel, which will save that company, is set to increase the number of jobs there. That will make a massive difference to his constituents, as will the investment in renewable energy in the North sea, particularly around Immingham, creating good jobs and paying decent wages in his constituency and in many others, too.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Chancellor did not directly address funding for transport projects but mentioned other investments that benefit the area.

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