Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much of the Shared Prosperity Fund has been allocated; and if he will publish a list of all projects that have received money from the fund since its inception.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a £2.6 billion fund for local investment by March 2025. All areas of the UK receive an allocation via a funding formula rather than competition.
We have delegated responsibility for delivering the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to local government. Therefore, it is for places to decide how they use their allocation and this will depend on locally identified priorities. Delivery and management of projects is undertaken at a local level and local authorities can decide when and how to publish on their projects. The department captures this information for fund management purposes.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Department’s publication entitled Levelling Up: campaign toolkit phase 1 published on 12 December 2023, how many staff (a) headcount and (b) full time equivalent were involved in the production of the campaign toolkit and associated assets.
Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The campaign toolkit was developed using existing assets from the Levelling Up campaign. Please refer to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities transparency pages where we regularly publish any spend exceeding £250 at the following link.
It is not possible to determine staff numbers as colleagues have been drawn in from other duties and work areas to deliver the campaign.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the publication entitled Levelling Up: campaign toolkit phase one, published on 12 December 2023, whether his Department sought external advice on the production of (a) the toolkit and (b) associated assets.
Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The campaign toolkit was developed using existing assets from the Levelling Up campaign. Please refer to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities transparency pages where we regularly publish any spend exceeding £250 at the following link.
It is not possible to determine staff numbers as colleagues have been drawn in from other duties and work areas to deliver the campaign.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many times (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have met local authorities to discuss the operation and application of Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 since his appointment.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act introduces powers for the Government to create a new mandatory, non-negotiable Infrastructure Levy. This will reform the existing system of developer contributions, made up of negotiated Section 106 planning obligations and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). Ministers have and will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders as we prepare for these reforms. Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many times (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have met housing developers to discuss the operation and application of Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 since his appointment.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act introduces powers for the Government to create a new mandatory, non-negotiable Infrastructure Levy. This will reform the existing system of developer contributions, made up of negotiated Section 106 planning obligations and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). Ministers have and will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders as we prepare for these reforms. Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Technical paper on Level 4 devolution framework, published on 22 November 2023, whether his Department is commissioning any (a) gateway assessments with combined authorities, (b) learning exercises and (c) other evaluations of the existing (i) combined authority and (ii) devolution settlements in England.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The published Technical Paper on Level 4 Devolution available here sets out the Department is reviewing the Gateway Assessment process for institutions in receipt of Investment Funds. Further details will be set out in the usual way.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2023 to Question 1396 on Local Government: Standards and the Answer of 27 November 2023 to Question 2902 on Local Government: Contracts, on what basis his Department decided on the anticipated number of a minimum of six and maximum of 32 reviews.
Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
As per document reference 2022/S 000-024515 for the provision of external assurance reviews, the estimation of the potential numbers of reviews that could be required was based on the number of external assurance reviews that were undertaken in previous years in response to requests for Exceptional Financial Support for the years 2020/21 and 2021/22. The Department has published details of that provided support and the associated reviews on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Simplification Pathfinder Pilot: technical guidance, published on 31 July 2023, when he plans to implement the funding simplification doctrine.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November to Question 2903 on Levelling Up Fund, which projects which met or exceeded the 74.25 score threshold in England and Wales and 72.25 score threshold in Scotland were not selected due to the application of the relevant caps on projects by (a) local authority, (b) ITL1 region and (c) ITL2 region.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 2903 on 27th November 2023. The published methodology note sets out the robust process that was followed to select bids. In total, the methodology resulted in 55 projects provisionally selected for funding; no further bids were or added or removed by ministers.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Department's guidance entitled Levelling Up Fund Round 3: explanatory and methodology note on the decision-making process, published on 20 November 2023, whether any projects that scored 74.25 or above did not qualify for funding as a result of the cap on regeneration projects outside priority areas by local authority or ILT1 area.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government has published an explanatory and methodology note which sets out the decision-making process for selecting successful bids for Round 3 of the Levelling Up Fund. As set out in paragraph 15 ‘projects were capped at one per local authority and four per ITL1 region. These were selected in score order, except for in ITL1 regions where ITL2 distribution could be maximised, where an additional cap of one project per ITL2 in this stage was introduced to improve regional spread’. A threshold of above 74.25 for scores was applied in England and Wales, and 72.25 in Scotland, with further requirements set out in the note.