Oral Answers to Questions

Corri Wilson Excerpts

Tuesday 28th February 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gauke]

My hon. Friend raises an important point. There is a considerable amount of discretion for local authorities in regard to how much they want to prioritise social care, and the Government have given them greater flexibility in relation to the council tax precept.

[Corri Wilson (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) (SNP)]

10. What progress the Government have made on assessing the potential merits of the Ayrshire growth deal.

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr David Gauke)]

The Government have focused on taking forward city deals with Edinburgh, Stirling and Tay cities and we are looking to agree city deals with all of Scotland’s great cities. The Government have also published their Green Paper on the industrial strategy and are engaging closely with the Scottish Government and local partners on how the strategy can work for all parts of the United Kingdom.

[Corri Wilson]

We heard earlier about investment in Yorkshire. Would the Chief Secretary to the Treasury acknowledge that the Ayrshire growth deal would provide a much-needed economic boost to the area and reflect the Government’s promise to drive growth throughout the whole country, as outlined in their recently published industrial strategy?

[Mr Gauke]

As I said, we are focusing the city deals on cities. If the Scottish Government wish to take forward projects to enable growth in Ayrshire, they are able to do so.