Extract from Women and Equalities questions Mark Menzies (Fylde)
(Con): Coastal communities such as Lytham St Annes are home to
substantial tourism and hospitality sectors. Those sectors have
traditionally employed large numbers of women, but they have been
particularly hit by the pandemic. Given that inequality in coastal
resorts is a long-recognised issue, what plans does my right hon.
Friend have to ensure that coastal towns—in Lancashire,
especially—can build back better? The...Request free trial
Extract from Women and
Equalities questions
(Fylde) (Con):
Coastal communities such as Lytham St Annes are home to substantial
tourism and hospitality sectors. Those sectors have traditionally
employed large numbers of women, but they have been particularly
hit by the pandemic. Given that inequality in coastal resorts is a
long-recognised issue, what plans does my right hon. Friend have to
ensure that coastal towns—in Lancashire, especially—can build back
better?
The Minister for Women and Equalities (): We are
directing vital support to seaside towns through the £230 million
coastal communities fund. We recognise the unique challenges faced
by towns such as St Annes, and that will be very much in our
thoughts as we look to the £4 billion levelling-up fund and the UK
shared prosperity fund I am
pleased to say that we will be publishing prospectives for those
shortly, and no doubt my hon. Friend will be interested in
applying.
Extract from debate on
Local Government Finance (England)
(Sedgefield) (Con):...For both councils, a
longer-term settlement needs to be delivered as soon as
practicable. They fully understand the exceptional circumstances
that have frustrated things this year, but they reiterate the need
to give longer planning horizons as soon as possible. When the
longer-term settlements are determined, I ask that a review of the
metrics for future funding be undertaken, because I find it very
difficult to understand, for example, why a county such as Durham,
which covers 223,000 hectares, is not classed as rural. It is that
sort of conundrum that underpins concerns about whether the fair
funding review and the shared prosperity fund will reach
my communities as they should. I remain perplexed about why the
Labour-controlled Durham County Council is to spend £50 million on
a new county hall in the centre of Durham. In my opinion, it would
be better if it remained where it is...
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Extracts from end of day
adjournment debate on Eden Project North
(Morecambe and Lunesdale) (Con) [V]:...Eden
Project North has the potential to be a key driver, and an example
of socioeconomic and environmental post-covid recovery for the
north. Will the Minister confirm which Government funds, such as
the shared prosperity fund could be
accessed and which have already been earmarked to enable schemes
that will really drive the Government’s levelling-up agenda? Is
this project the true embodiment of the Government’s levelling-up,
“build back better” aspirations? I think it is. This project is
shovel-ready and can be open by 2024, driving the local economy and
acting as a beacon to the levelling-up agenda...
The Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government
():...Now that we are outside the European Union, we
have a new opportunity to broaden our horizons and better meet
local needs through our new UK shared prosperity fund which, of
course, my hon. Friend highlighted. Freed from the constraints of
the poorly targeted and inflexible EU structural funds, the
shared prosperity fund will ramp
up nationwide investment so that it matches if not exceeds EU
receipts, tightly focused on our domestic priorities, developing
local economies and breathing new life into our communities...
To read the whole debate, CLICK
HERE
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