Oral Answers to Questions

James Grundy Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd July 2020 Commons Chamber

[Jerome Mayhew (Broadland) (Con)]

What plans she has for the Equality Hub to tackle geographical and socio-economic inequality.

[James Grundy (Leigh) (Con)]

What plans she has for the Equality Hub to tackle geographical and socio-economic inequality.

[The Minister for Women and Equalities (Elizabeth Truss)]

The Prime Minister has set out his vision to level up and spread opportunity across the country, and the Equality Hub will play an important part in realising that vision by rigorously analysing where the real inequality in Britain is today. It will focus in particular on areas such as geography and social background.

[Elizabeth Truss]

My hon. Friend makes a good point. We want everybody across the country to benefit from our levelling-up agenda of investing more in transport infrastructure and dealing with educational inequality. We recognise that deprived rural areas can face additional barriers to opportunity. The Equality Hub will analyse the data and look at where that inequality of opportunity is, so that Departments can take measures to address them.

[James Grundy]

How might northern constituencies, such as my constituency of Leigh, which according to some measures is in the top 20% most deprived constituencies in the country, benefit from the plans my right hon. Friend mentioned earlier?

[Elizabeth Truss]

We want to make sure that no part of our country feels forgotten about, particularly towns and cities in the north and the midlands, such as my hon. Friend’s constituency. I can assure him that we will do everything we can to look at the roots of that geographical inequality and to make sure his constituents have the best opportunities in life.