>On Tuesday 11th December the House of Lords Select Committee on
the Rural Economy will question , Parliamentary Under
Secretary of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy (BEIS); and MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary
of State, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
(MHCLG).
The first session with will begin at
10am. The Committee will ask how rural areas be
expected to maximise their contribution to UK productivity, as
set out in the Industrial Strategy, when critical infrastructure
such as digital and mobile connectivity and transport are lagging
compared to urban areas.
Other questions the Committee are likely to
ask include:
-
Should Local Industrial Strategies be rural
proofed, and who by?
-
How do Local Industrial Strategies differ from
Strategic Economic Plans and how are these two documents
intended to interact with each other?
-
The Committee has heard that the performance of
LEPs is patchy when it comes to delivering for rural areas. Are
they the right body to lead on the development of Local
Industrial Strategies?
-
Can you provide an overview of how BEIS’
‘place-based approach’ for the industrial strategy will work in
practice?
The second session with MP will begin at
10.45am. The Committee will ask what new
initiatives MHCLG are supporting to help local economic growth
and sustainability in rural areas and how it seeks to reflect the
interests of rural economies in developing housing
policy.
Other questions the Committee are likely to
ask include:
-
How is MHCLG working with BEIS to ensure that LEPs
take account of rural areas when fulfilling their role as the
leads for Local Industrial Strategies?
-
What more can MHCLG be doing to empower rural
communities that are less well-resourced?
-
How will the Shared Prosperity Fund work for rural
areas?
-
Would having a cross-government document setting
out the overarching, long-term strategic direction for rural
areas (such as a Rural Strategy) be of benefit for
MHCLG?
