Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed Lancashire Mayoral Strategic Authority on economic development in neighbouring areas, including Southport; and what steps she plans to take to ensure that devolution arrangements support investment and economic integration across existing administrative boundaries.

At Budget the government announced it is in the final stages of agreeing a Mayoral Strategic Authority for Lancashire. This would build on the existing Foundation Strategic Authority, delivering deeper devolution with greater powers for local leaders to drive growth and investment, including the measures included in the Fiscal Devolution Roadmap and those to follow in the forthcoming Devolution White Paper.

The creation of a Mayoral Strategic Authority will be subject to the statutory process, and part of this is an assessment against the ‘statutory test’, which includes consideration of the impact on economic development and regeneration. The government encourages strategic authorities and Mayors to work together on cross-boundary issues, and supports initiatives such as The Great North that facilitate mayoral collaboration.