Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the role of economic policy in regional development.

The Government’s levelling up agenda aims to spread opportunity and investment across every region and nation of the UK. We are delivering this pledge by boosting jobs, wages and prospects for all communities.

At the Budget, the Government announced additional funding for skills and job support, 8 Freeports that will be national hubs for trade, innovation and commerce and the launch of the first round of the £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund, to invest in local infrastructure and support economic recovery.

Furthermore, in light of Covid-19, the Government has introduced unprecedented support for businesses, households and workers, and local economies across the UK – protecting jobs and livelihoods against the current economic crisis. As of 14 July 2021, there have been 11.6 million unique jobs supported by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) since its inception, including 472,800 jobs in Wales. A total of 1.3 million employers have made a claim through the CJRS since it started in March 2020, totalling £67.4 billion in claims.