Asked by
To ask His Majesty’s Government what are their levelling-up
priorities for the North East of England.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Levelling Up, Housing & Communities () (Con)
My Lords, we are giving people in the north-east the tools needed
to shape a better future. Next year the north-east will become
the first region fully covered by mayoral combined authorities.
These mayors will have direct control over long-term investment
funds totalling £1.85 billion. Other regeneration priorities are
also being delivered by locally led town boards, with £765
million of funding allocated to projects across the
north-east.
(Lab)
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer and I welcome the
creation of an elected mayor to represent most of the area of the
north-east, which is a big step forward for devolution. But the
Government’s levelling-up policies have been rightly criticised
by the Commons Select Committee and others for simply giving out
bits and pieces of money, often as a result of competitive bids,
and sometimes seemingly favouring areas where the Government have
political friends, rather than addressing the areas of real need.
Why can there not be—and why has there not been—an overall
programme for the north-east, involving all relevant government
departments, to deal with the transport needs, business and
investment needs, health inequalities, the woeful shortfall in
local government funding, and many other areas? An overall
approach is what has been needed.
(Con)
My Lords, I believe that the north-east devolution deal will help
deliver that overall approach but put its delivery in the hands
of local leaders and an elected mayor. When it comes to
competitive bids, we have heard feedback from many local areas
and that is why the third round of the levelling up fund was not
allocated using competitive bids. We have also set out
principles, going forward, in our local government funding
simplification plan. Finally, on which areas have benefited from
funding from this Government, under the levelling up funds the
north-east has received the highest allocation per capita—quite
rightly, as it reflects the need in the north-east.
(CB)
Is the Minister aware that, in spite of all the Government’s
levelling-up efforts, over Christmas there will be 140,000
children and 300,000 people in temporary accommodation? This has
gone up by 14% in the last year, according to Shelter and the Big
Issue. What can the Minister say about that?
(Con)
I am aware of the figures that the noble Lord cites, and I think
it is a tragedy. The Government are committed to doing all we can
to address it. We have seen a real increase in pressure on the
private rented sector over the past year, which leads to
increases in people in temporary accommodation. At the Autumn
Statement, we announced further funding towards tackling
homelessness to help address this. We also announced that the
local housing allowance will be increased to the 30th percentile,
which will help address those cost pressures in the private
rented sector, so we are doing a lot to try to address this
issue.
(LD)
When the Prime Minister announced the cancellation of HS2, he
made promises that there would be transport improvements for the
north-east, affecting both rail capacity on the east coast main
line and the dualling of the A1 north of Newcastle. Given the
number of broken promises we have had over the last 50 years on
these subjects, will they happen?
(Con)
The noble Lord is absolutely right that the decision not to press
ahead with the final leg of HS2 has released a huge amount of
money for people’s priorities across the north of England when it
comes to investing in transport. Where that investment will be
made will be influenced and led by local leaders and their
priorities, working closely with government. It is in their hands
as to where we should best allocate this funding.
(Lab)
My Lords, a recent report by the Centre for Ageing Better said
that the north-east has the largest proportion of older people in
poor health, with three in 10 people aged 50 to 64 in poor
health, compared with one in five in the south-east. Since 2010
the Government have cut £15 billion from local authority budgets.
What is the progress in levelling up regional equalities to
ensure that the quality of someone’s later life will not remain a
postcode lottery? Is it not the case that the Government embarked
on creating a northern powerhouse but instead have delivered a
northern poorhouse?
(Con)
My Lords, the levelling-up missions encompass a wide range of
outcomes that we are seeking to address, including reducing
health inequalities. That is why we are investing further money
both in our health service and in social care, including
additional grant money made available to local councils this year
and next. It is a long-term transformation fund but we will be
held accountable, reporting against those missions annually until
2030.
(Con)
My Lords, the Government have been extremely generous to Tees
Valley with the infrastructure and other funding. Will my noble
friend look equally generously on North Yorkshire, 75% of whose
budget is going towards the elderly, and even more towards
childcare? We need to restore the balance between Tees Valley and
other rural areas, such as North Yorkshire, in the available
funding.
(Con)
My Lords, I was pleased to be able to take forward yesterday the
statutory instrument that will create the combined authority and
mayoral authority for York and North Yorkshire. It represents a
huge opportunity for the area in terms of investment and local
leaders taking forward their priorities. My noble friend is
absolutely right that it is a different area with a more rural
constituency, and I think it has the opportunity to show how
devolution and levelling up can work across the country, whether
you are in a rural or an urban area.
(CB)
My Lords, the noble Lord, , and the noble Baroness, Lady
Quin, both made a point about the centrality of regenerating
transport links in the north of England in order to help the
growth of the economy and therefore levelling up. Is the Minister
aware that it can take up to four and a half hours to travel by
train from Newcastle to Liverpool? Is she aware that over the
summer the Transport Minister, , kindly came on a site visit to look at the
so-called Hellifield link, which would create a new cross-Pennine
east-west link—a track that is already there but needs to be
revitalised? Given what the Prime Minister said in Manchester
about the importance of regenerating the economy in the north
based on its transport links, can the Minister find out from Mr
Merriman what progress has been made on that?
(Con)
I am very happy to undertake to write to my honourable friend and
find out about progress on that. It brings us back to the broader
point from the difficult decision not to proceed with the last
leg of HS2. That has freed up billions of pounds for investment
that will make a difference to more people’s lives, and faster,
across the whole north of England.
(LD)
I refer the Minister to the recently published report by PwC, its
Green Jobs Barometer, which says that the number of green jobs
advertised has fallen sharply in the last year in the north-east,
and that London and the south-east continue to dominate the total
number of green jobs advertised. If the Government are to narrow
the gap through levelling up, what action will they take to
promote green jobs in parts of the country outside London and the
south-east?
(Con)
The noble Lord is absolutely right that the north-east has huge
potential when it comes to green jobs and industries, and that
has been a real focus of government investment in the north-east,
along with leaders there. We announced the investment zone for
the north-east last month. That is all focused on advanced
manufacturing, green industries and the creation of jobs there.
It is backed by a huge amount of government funding, and we have
already seen great results from it. I think we will see an
increase in green jobs in the north-east, as well as across the
rest of the country.
(Lab Co-op)
My Lords, does the Minister agree that one of the best things
about the north-east of England is that you are almost in
Scotland? However, as the noble Lord, , said, when you get to the A1 in
the north-east of England, it narrows down almost to a country
lane—to a single-file road. Will the Minister answer the noble
Lord’s question? When is it going to be dualled? That will be a
symbol of Scotland and England remaining part of the United
Kingdom.
(Con)
I am going to have to disappoint the noble Lord. I do not have a
date for him on when that project will be completed. Essential
for improvements to transport across the north of England and in
the north-east is the extra funding that will be made available
for it through the cancellation of the final leg of HS2.
(Con)
My Lords, I say to my noble friend the Minister not to lose sight
of the importance of culture in levelling up. The north has been
extraordinarily successful. I declare an interest as a trustee of
Tate; Tate Liverpool is undergoing a huge regeneration. There is
also the refurbishment of Manchester Museum and the
transformation of Newcastle and Gateshead through culture. Will
the Minister assure me that in her new brief she puts culture at
the centre when she is thinking about levelling up?
(Con)
My noble friend is absolutely right. When we talk about levelling
up, we talk about pride of place, for example. Culture can be an
incredibly important part of that. In recent levelling-up
funding, we have taken steps to ensure that culture specifically
is considered in the allocation of those funds.
