City Deal

Greg Clark Excerpts

Friday 17th January 2014 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Greg Clark)]

Following the successful completion of the first wave of city deals in July 2012, with the “core cities” the Government committed to work with a further 20 cities and their wider areas to negotiate a second wave of city deals in October 2012.

I can today inform the House that the Government and business and civic leaders in Plymouth and the area covered by Plymouth city council, Cornwall council, Devon county council, Somerset county council and Torbay council have reached agreement on a city deal.

The Plymouth and the south-west peninsula city deal will build on the area’s strengths in the marine and advanced manufacturing sectors. The Ministry of Defence will work with business and civic leaders to make available an important site—South Yard—that will provide both new employment space for marine sector companies and provide access to deep water, thereby enabling marine research and development and commercialisation activities to be undertaken.

A youth employment scheme will be launched that will work with all young people engaging in employment and skills activities. This scheme will aim to simplify access to employment and skills programmes for businesses.

The city deal will also deliver a business support programme to provide businesses with support and advice to assist their growth. Business and civic leaders in Plymouth and the south-west anticipate that the deal will enable the creation of more than 9,500 jobs by 2030 and will work with 1,500 young people to support a large number into sustained employment.