Asked by: Rob Roberts (Independent - Delyn)
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 Cabinet colleagues on the impact of devolution arrangements on the strength of the Union.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.
Asked by: Rob Roberts (Independent - Delyn)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2022 to Question 80942 on UK Shared Prosperity Fund, when he plans to have finalised the validation of investment plans; and whether he plans to notify local authorities (a) when their plans have been assessed or (b) when all assessments have been completed.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 80942, on the 14th November 2022. Further to this, local authorities will be notified when validation has been completed.
Asked by: Rob Roberts (Independent - Delyn)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2022 to Question 76136 on UK Shared Prosperity Fund, when he plans to announce the date by which his Department will have finalised its assessments and notified local authorities of the outcomes.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
Once the validation of investment plans is finalised, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will promptly communicate to local authorities the date upon which they will be notified of the outcomes of their investment plans.
Asked by: Rob Roberts (Independent - Delyn)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether all local authorities have received a response to their investment plans under the Shared Prosperity Fund allocations; and when local authorities which have not received a response will do so.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) are finalising the validation of UK Shared Prosperity Fund investment plans and will be notifying lead local authorities of the outcome in due course.
Asked by: Rob Roberts (Independent - Delyn)
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 Welsh Government on the introduction of the Investment Zone initiative in Wales.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Government is committed to boosting growth across the whole of the UK. We will work with devolved governments and other partners to agree how we can deliver Investment Zones in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Discussions are ongoing with the Welsh Government, and we want to ensure Investment Zones maximise the value of both reserved and devolved levers.
Asked by: Rob Roberts (Independent - Delyn)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the UK Municipal Bonds Agency; and what the (a) number and (b) value of loans it has provided to local authorities has been in each year since its establishment.
Answered by Paul Scully
Under the current system, authorities are responsible for their own borrowing and investment decisions and are accountable to their electorate. Authorities have wide freedoms to borrow from any source, provided it is affordable. Authorities must however, ensure they comply with their statutory duties under the Prudential Framework, and have regard to the four statutory codes that set out best practice.
The Government collects aggregate data on local authorities borrowing and investment activity commensurate to its stewardship function and monitoring of risk, but does not routinely assess the use of borrowing from specific sources such as the UK Municipal Bonds Agency (UKMBA) or the effectiveness of lenders. The UKMBA is owned by local government, central government has no role in the operations of the agency.
Asked by: Rob Roberts (Independent - Delyn)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, on what date he plans to open the next round of applications to the Levelling Up Fund.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
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. We will open round two in Spring 2022 and will share further details in due course.