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Written Question
Coal: Regeneration
Wednesday 9th November 2022

Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on plans for regeneration of coalfield communities in the next five years.

Answered by Dehenna Davison

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. This Government is, however, committed to levelling up the UK by spreading opportunity more equally across the country, investing in places that need it most, including coalfield communities. Several former coalfield communities are benefiting from our Towns Fund, including Goldthorpe and Mansfield which have Town Deals running until 2025/26. Through our Community Ownership Fund, coalfield communities can apply for funding to save assets like local pubs, shops and sports clubs from closure - like the CANA resource and training centre in Rhondda Cynon Taf which received funding in Round 1.


Written Question
UK Community Renewal Fund
Thursday 1st July 2021

Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to use the methodology for the determination of priority places for the UK Community Renewal Fund to inform the determination of similar areas under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

The UK Community Renewal Fund will help inform the design of the UK Shared Prosperity through funding of one year pilots, but the funds are distinct in regard to design, eligibility and duration. Successful UK Community Renewal Fund bids will be for 2021/22 only.

The UK Community Renewal Fund aims to support our communities to pilot programmes and new approaches, aligning national and local provision. We want to use the UK Community Renewal Fund to test greater integration of types of interventions and greater flexibility between investment themes than under EU structural funds.

A big part of testing and trialling means evaluating what works well and what does not so that it can feed into the development of both the places and people portions of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Spending Review 2020 set out the main strategic elements of the UKSPF in the Heads of Terms.  The Government will publish a UK-wide investment framework later this year and confirm its funding profile at the next Spending Review


Written Question
UK Shared Prosperity Fund
Wednesday 30th June 2021

Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Legatum Institute's UK Prosperity Index 2021 area rankings will inform the design of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund will help to level up and create opportunity across the UK in places most in need, such as ex-industrial areas, deprived towns and rural and coastal communities, and for people who face labour market barriers.

Spending Review 2020 set out the main strategic elements of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in the Heads of Terms. We will ramp up funding so that total domestic UK-wide funding will at least match EU receipts, on average reaching around £1.5 billion a year. In addition, the UK Government is providing an additional £220 million funding in 2021/22 through the UK Community Renewal Fund to help local areas prepare for the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The Government will publish a UK-wide investment framework later this year and confirm its funding profile at the next Spending Review.


Written Question
Disadvantaged
Wednesday 30th June 2021

Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the Legatum Institute's UK Prosperity Index 2021 area rankings.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund will help to level up and create opportunity across the UK in places most in need, such as ex-industrial areas, deprived towns and rural and coastal communities, and for people who face labour market barriers.

Spending Review 2020 set out the main strategic elements of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in the Heads of Terms. We will ramp up funding so that total domestic UK-wide funding will at least match EU receipts, on average reaching around £1.5 billion a year. In addition, the UK Government is providing an additional £220 million funding in 2021/22 through the UK Community Renewal Fund to help local areas prepare for the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The Government will publish a UK-wide investment framework later this year and confirm its funding profile at the next Spending Review.


Written Question
UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Wales
Wednesday 30th June 2021

Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to engage and consult representatives of local authorities in Wales on the design of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

The Government has been engaging with stakeholders on the design and priorities of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund since 2016, including holding a series of engagement events.

Over 500 stakeholders attended these events across a variety of sectors, including businesses, public bodies (such as Local Enterprise Partnerships, Mayoral Combined Authorities, local governments), higher education institutions, voluntary and charity sector and rural partnership groups.

Our engagement events have taken place across the UK including in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Government officials will continue to work closely with interested parties as we develop the Fund.


Written Question
Levelling Up Fund
Tuesday 15th June 2021

Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to announce the deadlines for the subsequent bidding rounds of the Levelling Up Fund.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

The £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund will invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets.

The prospectus published at Budget provides guidance for local areas on how to submit bids for the first round of funding for projects starting in 2021-22. This includes guidance on the process for submitting bids, the types of projects eligible for funding, and how bids will be assessed.

Further detail on how the Fund will operate from 2022-23 onwards will be set out later this year.


Written Question
UK Community Renewal Fund: Bridgend County Borough Council
Tuesday 27th April 2021

Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason Bridgend County Borough Council did not meet the criteria to be a priority place for the UK Community Renewal Fund.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

To ensure that the UK Community Renewal Fund reaches those most in need, we have identified 100 priority places based on an index of economic resilience across Great Britain which measures productivity, household income, unemployment, skills and population density. This has been developed based on a consistent approach to identifying need across Great Britain. We are committed to transparency and a methodological note explaining how the 100 priority places were determined has been published alongside further guidance for applicants and lead authorities.


Written Question
UK Community Renewal Fund: Wales
Tuesday 27th April 2021

Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Wales regarding the UK Community Renewal Fund.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has worked collaboratively with multiple departments on the UK Community Renewal Fund, the Secretary of State and his Ministerial team have met with counterparts from other government departments including the Secretary of State for Wales. Departmental officials have also regularly met with colleagues from other government departments.


Written Question
UK Community Renewal Fund
Tuesday 27th April 2021

Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has reviewed the eligibility criteria for the allocation of priority places for the UK Community Renewal Fund.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

To ensure the UK Community Renewal Fund funding reaches the most in need, we have identified 100 priority places based on an index of economic resilience across Great Britain which measures productivity, household income, unemployment, skills, and population density.

We are committed to transparency and a methodological note has been published explaining how the 100 priority places were selected.


Written Question
UK Community Renewal Fund: Wales
Tuesday 27th April 2021

Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with local authorities in Wales on the UK Community Renewal Fund.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

As set out in the UK Community Renewal Fund prospectus, the UK Government will work directly with local partners and communities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, who are best placed to understand the needs of their local areas and more closely aligned to the local economic geographies to deliver quickly on the ground.

Following the launch of the Fund, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and officials held webinar events with all local authorities, including those in Wales, to provide details on the design of the new fund.

UK Government officials have been in touch with local authorities in Wales to assist them further in their understanding of the UK Community Renewal Fund, including how to apply.