Oral Answers to Questions

Lee Anderson Excerpts

Monday 17th October 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Natalie Elphicke (Dover) (Con)]

17. When his Department plans to announce the allocation of funds under the levelling-up fund round 2.

[Lee Anderson (Ashfield) (Con)]

18. How many areas have been allocated funding under the levelling-up fund.

[Richard Foord (Tiverton and Honiton) (LD)]

21. What his planned timetable is for (a) announcing the successful bids under levelling-up fund round 2 and (b) disbursing that funding.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Clarke]

My hon. Friend is a fantastic advocate for Dover on so many issues. She will understand, I hope, that I cannot comment on the merits of specific bids while we are evaluating them, but it is vital that she continues to champion the bid that has been brought forward for her town.

[Lee Anderson]

Eastwood is famous for two things: D. H. Lawrence and a whole list of lazy Labour MPs who have not brought one penny of investment into the forgotten town of Nottinghamshire. Things are going to change. We have just put in a £20 million levelling up bid, which will help the most deprived town in Nottinghamshire. Will my right hon. Friend please meet me to discuss my ideas to make sure that we get this money in the bank as soon as possible?

[Mr Clarke]

I am always happy to meet my hon. Friend, who is such a fantastic advocate for his constituency, which I think he has made iconic through his work. As I have just said to my hon. Friend the Member for Dover (Mrs Elphicke), I cannot comment on a specific bid, but I am always happy to talk about the issues affecting places such as Eastwood.