Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on giving the Liverpool City Region Mayor the power to place a supplement on business rates to fund infrastructure with the agreement of the local business community through the Local Enterprise Partnership; and what timescale has been agreed for that power being granted.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has the appropriate powers to help promote local growth, and we are considering the most effective way to deliver those powers.