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Select Committee · Business and Trade Committee

Post-pandemic economic growth: Levelling up - local and regional structures and the delivery of economic growth

Status: Closed Opened: 24 Jul 2020 Closed: 3 Dec 2021 14 recommendations 4 conclusions 1 report

This sub-inquiry - Levelling up: local and regional structures and the delivery of economic growth - forms part of the Committee’s overall ‘super-inquiry’ into Post-Pandemic Economic Growth. Our ‘levelling up’ inquiry will look at how local and regional government structures (including the role of powerhouses, local enterprise partnerships and growth hubs, city and regional mayoralties, … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - Post-pandemic economic growth: Levelling up HC 566 22 Jul 2021 18 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

7 items
4 Recommendation Third Report - Post-pandemic economic g… Accepted

The impact of Covid-19 has not been uniform, and the extent of these differences may...

The impact of Covid-19 has not been uniform, and the extent of these differences may not be known for some time. The Government should factor detailed analysis of the impact of Covid-19 into its planning for, and delivery of, the levelling up agenda. (Paragraph 25) Funding Levelling up Read more

Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, recognizing the importance of factoring COVID-19 impacts into levelling up. It is undertaking a program of work to understand structural shifts and will continue to work closely with the Levelling Up Task Force to integrate this analysis into planning and …
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Department for Business and Trade
5 Recommendation Third Report - Post-pandemic economic g… Accepted

The current available documents on the policy instruments the Government aims to use to level...

The current available documents on the policy instruments the Government aims to use to level up—the Conservative Party Manifesto, its submission to this inquiry and the 2021 Queen’s Speech—show a wide ranging and disjointed programme of random policies from an obesity strategy, an increase in police officers, to funding on … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government commits to publishing the Levelling Up White Paper, which will articulate how livelihoods will be improved across the country, with further details on plans to be included in the paper.
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Department for Business and Trade
9 Recommendation Third Report - Post-pandemic economic g… Accepted

The funding available to achieve levelling up is disparate and lacking any overall coherent strategic...

The funding available to achieve levelling up is disparate and lacking any overall coherent strategic purpose or focus. Individual departments should be clear on what their contribution to levelling up will be in line with a clear strategy and agenda. Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states its commitment to levelling up and explains that it uses Spending Review priority outcomes and Outcome Delivery Plans to ensure departmental contributions are aligned with a clear strategy. Updated outcomes and metrics will be published at the next Spending Review.
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Department for Business and Trade
10 Recommendation Third Report - Post-pandemic economic g… Accepted

Funding for levelling up should be explicitly and directly linked to the identified issues that...

Funding for levelling up should be explicitly and directly linked to the identified issues that the Government are seeking to address, with clear metrics on what that money is seeking to deliver. There is an inequality in the capacity of local areas to bid for government funds. Whitehall should have … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states its commitment to levelling up and explains that it uses Spending Review priority outcomes and Outcome Delivery Plans to link departmental contributions and provide accountability. Updated outcomes and metrics will be published at the next Spending Review.
Read full response →
Department for Business and Trade
15 Recommendation Third Report - Post-pandemic economic g… Accepted

We also recommend that the Cities and Local Growth Unit work with the Office for...

We also recommend that the Cities and Local Growth Unit work with the Office for National Statistics to agree a uniform set of local economic metrics to determine progress in achieving them.

Government response AI summary
The government states it already has a system for agreeing provisional priority outcomes and metrics across departments, which are embedded in Outcome Delivery Plans. It notes that updated priority outcomes and metrics will be published at the next Spending Review to ensure departmental accountability.
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Department for Business and Trade
17 Recommendation Third Report - Post-pandemic economic g… Accepted

We recommend that the Government should set out what it envisages a ‘levelled up UK’...

We recommend that the Government should set out what it envisages a ‘levelled up UK’ would look like and agree a set of metrics by which progress towards this vision can be measured. We recommend that the assessments should be based on measurable outcomes linked to short, medium and long-term … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states it is already committed to levelling up and has published priority outcomes and Outcome Delivery Plans that set out strategy and planning information. It commits to publishing updated priority outcomes and metrics at the next Spending Review.
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Department for Business and Trade
18 Recommendation Third Report - Post-pandemic economic g… Accepted

The Government needs to set metrics on levelling up for each Department.

The Government needs to set metrics on levelling up for each Department. Performance against these metrics should be published annually and monitored by the National Audit Office. (Paragraph 78) Post-pandemic economic growth: Levelling up 35

Government response AI summary
The government states its commitment to levelling up and explains that it uses Spending Review priority outcomes and Outcome Delivery Plans to set metrics for departments and ensure accountability. Updated priority outcomes and metrics will be published at the next Spending Review.
Read full response →
Department for Business and Trade

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
18 May 2021 Aaron Goater · Committee on Climate Change, Kate O'Neill · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Luke Hall · Housing, Communities and Local Government, Mercedes Maroto-Valer · Heriot-Watt University, Nick Molho · Aldersgate Group, Paul Scully · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy View ↗
24 Nov 2020 Andrew Carter · Centre for Cities, Henri Murison · Northern Powerhouse Partnership, Katherine Bennett · Western Gateway, Marvin Rees · Bristol City Council, Mr Duncan Simpson · Taxpayers' Alliance, Rachael Greenwood · Midlands Engine, Rokhsana Fiaz · Newham Council, Sir Peter Soulsby · Leicester City Council, The Lord Kerslake · UK 2020 Commission View ↗
22 Oct 2020 Jamie Driscoll · North of Tyne Combined Authority, Rt Hon Andy Burnham · Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Steve Rotheram · Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Tim Bowles · West of England Combined Authority View ↗
1 Oct 2020 Chris Fletcher · Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Councillor Sue Baxtor · National Association of Local Councils, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe · Local Government Association, Louise Bennett OBE DL · Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Mark Bretton · THE LEP Network, Sandy Needham DL · West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Stuart Elford · Devon Chamber of Commerce View ↗

Who gave evidence

26 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Aaron Goater · Industry Lead Committee on Climate Change 1
Andrew Carter · Chief Executive Centre for Cities 1
Chris Fletcher · Campaigns Director Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce 1
Councillor Sue Baxtor · Chairman National Association of Local Councils 1
Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe · Vice Chair of the City Regions Board Local Government Association 1
Henri Murison · Director Northern Powerhouse Partnership 1
Jamie Driscoll · Mayor North of Tyne Combined Authority 1
Kate O'Neill · Director of Policy, Cities and Local Growth Unit Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 1
Katherine Bennett · Chair Western Gateway 1
Louise Bennett OBE DL · Chief Executive Officer Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce 1
Luke Hall · Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government Housing, Communities and Local Government 1
Mark Bretton · Chair THE LEP Network 1
Marvin Rees · Mayor Bristol City Council 1
Mercedes Maroto-Valer · Director, Research Centre for Carbon Solutions Heriot-Watt University 1
Mr Duncan Simpson · Research Director Taxpayers' Alliance 1
Nick Molho · Executive Director Aldersgate Group 1
Paul Scully · Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour… Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 1
Rachael Greenwood · Director Midlands Engine 1
Rokhsana Fiaz · Mayor Newham Council 1
Rt Hon Andy Burnham · Mayor Greater Manchester Combined Authority 1
Sandy Needham DL · Chief Executive Officer West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce 1
Sir Peter Soulsby · Mayor Leicester City Council 1
Steve Rotheram · Mayor Liverpool City Region Combined Authority 1
Stuart Elford · Chief Executive Officer Devon Chamber of Commerce 1
The Lord Kerslake · Chair UK 2020 Commission 1
Tim Bowles · Mayor West of England Combined Authority 1

Correspondence

3 letters
DateDirectionTitle
13 Jan 2022 To cttee Letter from the Secretary of State for Levelling UP, Housing and Communities on…
15 Dec 2021 To cttee Letter from the Chair and the Chair of the Levelling up, Housing and Communitie…
24 Jun 2021 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government relating to p…