Recommendation 8

LEPS, the business led-partnerships that have been an important part of the local growth landscape over the past decade, will take a back seat going forward as government delivers more funding through local authorities. The Department told us it is encouraging the integration of LEPs and their business boards into mayoral combined authorities, the Greater London Authority and county deals where they exist. We heard they will continue to play a role where devolution deals are not in place, but the Department did not expand on what that role would be.22 The Department told us that Levelling Up Directors within the Department will improve coordination between central and local government. They will sit in the department alongside area-based teams, though the Department provided no clarity on when they will be in place, indicating only that they would be “advertising for the roles soon”. The Department described an important role for them in: strengthening the Department’s presence in different parts of the country; championing local government within central government and vice versa; contributing to discussions around performance measures; and mediating between local authorities and the Department.23 It did not provide further clarity on the day to day role. Devolved responsibilities