Source · Select Committees · Welsh Affairs Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Paragraph: 81
Local authorities have played an important role in the delivery of ESI funding with their...
Conclusion
Local authorities have played an important role in the delivery of ESI funding with their on-the-ground knowledge and expertise and the UK and Welsh Governments should seek to ensure that the Shared Prosperity Fund utilises their experience. While the full economic benefits of City and Growth Deals are yet to be seen, they offer a blueprint for collaborative working between the UK and devolved governments and local authorities from which lessons should be learned. We note that the Welsh Government has brought forward proposals which would enable local authorities to establish Corporate Joint Committees to facilitate joint working, including in areas covered by City and Growth deals. It would seem sensible for the Shared Prosperity Fund to be designed so that it could, in future, work with City and Growth deals.
Paragraph Reference:
81
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
Building on the successes of the City and Growth Deal model, local places across the UK will be able to shape UKSPF investment to reflect their needs. Places receiving funding will be asked to agree specific outcomes to target within the UK-wide framework. They will then develop investment proposals to be approved by UK Government among a representative stakeholder group. Officials in the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government and the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales have discussed the lessons learned from the experience of City and Growth Deals with officials in the Welsh Government and other Devolved Administrations. These discussions have highlighted how UK Government can work successfully with the Devolved Administrations and local authorities to invest in local communities across the UK. The UKSPF will complement City and Growth Deal funding, by providing additional investment for a wider range of activities. This will help to drive regional growth in communities across the UK.