Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Levelling Up: Local Councils

08 December 2021 · 1 other contributor · 4,039 words

Opened by John Martin McDonnell Lab Hayes and Harlington

Responding minister: Neil O'Brien

EconomyTransportLocal Government

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

John Martin McDonnell raised concerns about levelling up: local councils in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about stark inequalities in investment across regions, with London receiving twice as much capital investment per person compared to the south-west of England.
  • Significant disparity in life expectancy between Kensington in Liverpool and Kensington in London highlighted.
  • Loss of central government funding for local authorities has led to closures of children's centres, youth centres, libraries, and bus routes.

Key requests to Government

I ask the Government to address the issue of council funding overall and provide a rising tide of funding that raises all local authority ships. I also urge them to consider more radical reform of local government finance and explore mechanisms for debt relief for local authorities.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

John Martin McDonnell Lab Hayes and Harlington

I am concerned about the stark inequalities in investment across regions, with London receiving twice as much capital investment per person compared to the south-west of England. Additionally, there is a significant disparity in life expectancy between Kensington in Liverpool and Kensington in London. The loss of central government funding for local authorities has led to closures of children's centres, youth centres, libraries, and bus routes, impacting communities across the country.

Other contributors (1)
  • Ian Byrne Lab Liverpool West Derby

    Liverpool has lost £450 million since 2010, with further cuts of £32 million expected in April. Levelling up is hollow rhetoric there due to sustained funding attacks starting from the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition in 2010. The issue when talking about levelling up and moving on from 2010 is that in 2022 the budget cuts affecting my city once again will mean that, potentially, four community libraries will be shut down in some of the poorest wards in the country. Last week, a study by Feeding Liverpool found that a third of my city are experiencing food insecurity.

Government Response

Neil O'Brien

I congratulate the right hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington on securing this debate and express agreement with his views on regional disparities. I emphasize the importance of empowering local leaders to drive levelling-up initiatives beyond cookie-cutter policies, focusing instead on tailored solutions for specific areas such as Leeds, Bradford, Blackpool, Manchester, Darlington, and Hayes and Harlington. The Government is committed to providing financial support through various funds including £2.4 billion allocated via the towns fund, £100 million from the welcome back fund and reopening high streets safely fund, and a £1.7 billion first round of the levelling-up fund supporting 105 initiatives across England. I highlight progress in Liverpool and Teesside with new devolution deals and freeports to boost local economies. Local government core spending power is set to increase by an average of 3% annually in real terms, complemented by investments through other funds like the future high streets fund and UK shared prosperity fund. The levelling-up Department will continue advancing this agenda over the coming years with a flexible approach to devolution.

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