Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 9
9
Economic development is a devolved power and, since the late 1990s, local growth funding in...
Conclusion
Economic development is a devolved power and, since the late 1990s, local growth funding in the devolved nations has been managed by the Scottish and Welsh Governments and the Northern Ireland Executive.24 Since 2020 however, central government’s principle local growth programmes have been UK-wide. The Towns Fund, announced in July 2019, was for England only but the Levelling Up Fund, the UK Community Renewal Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund are all UK-wide.25 The Freeports programme, announced in August 2019, is also UK-wide and while the Chancellor announced Freeport locations in England at the March 2021 Budget, it has taken longer to agree Freeports in Scotland. On 25 March 2022, the UK and Scottish Governments opened bidding for two Scottish Green Freeports.26