Oral Answers to Questions

Sam Gyimah Excerpts

Tuesday 13th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Stephen McPartland (Stevenage) (Con)]

13. What plans he has for the future of local enterprise partnerships.

[The Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation (Mr Sam Gyimah)]

We remain firmly committed to local enterprise partnerships. As announced in the industrial strategy, we are currently reviewing the roles and responsibilities of LEPs so that they are able to play an important role in developing local industrial strategies and driving growth across the country as we prepare to leave the European Union.

[Stephen McPartland]

Hertfordshire LEP has been a disaster for Stevenage people. Does the Minister agree that it is shameful that growth deal round 1 money is being used to build new council offices and sell off public sector land for developers to build luxury flats, with less than 10% being affordable homes?

[Mr Gyimah]

Some £15 million of growth deal round 1 money has already been invested in Stevenage, and that has helped to leverage a commitment of £350 million of private investment into the town. My hon. Friend raises an issue of concern, and I urge him to speak to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to resolve it.

[Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op)]

May I invite the ministerial team to step out of its bubble by coming to Yorkshire and talking to our local enterprise partnerships to respond to their pessimism that while London and the south might survive post Brexit, the midlands, the north and the regions will be in bitterly disappointed territory?

[Mr Gyimah]

The hon. Gentleman talks manufacturing down, but manufacturing is doing incredibly well in the north of England. He will also be aware that “place” is one of the five pillars of our industrial strategy, and we are determined to deliver across the country.

[Layla Moran (Oxford West and Abingdon) (LD)]

14. What assessment he has made of the effect of the UK leaving Euratom on (a) the economy and (b) scientific research in Oxfordshire.