Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
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 5 February 2024 to Question 11923 on Levelling Up Fund: Tamworth Borough Council, if any officials from his Department were involved in the drafting of the press release relating to this visit entitled Levelling Up Minister visits Tamworth to mark High Street development progress with Eddie Hughes MP.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 16976 on 7 March 2024.
I wish to be clear with the Hon Member once more. My visit to Tamworth was a political visit. It was arranged through political channels.
I notified the Hon Member ahead of visiting her constituency as per parliamentary protocols.
Furthermore, she should note that the cost of answering a written ministerial question has previously been estimated to be in region of £150. I have so far answered multiple questions on this subject.
To put it in perspective, the train ticket I purchased to visit Tamworth (at no cost to the taxpayer) cost £5.60.
If the honourable lady would like to meet me to discuss any of these matters further, at a far cheaper cost to the taxpayer, I am happy to facilitate such a meeting.
But I would prefer to discuss how this Government can level up all parts of this great country, including of course Tamworth.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
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 5 February 2024 to Question 11923 on Levelling Up Fund: Tamworth Borough Council, whether officials from his Department drafted any materials related to this visit.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
No departmental resources were deployed in facilitating the visit to Tamworth. No briefing materials were prepared by my department in preparation of the visit.
As I said in response to Question UIN 13191 on 8 February 2024, this was a political visit arranged through political channels at no cost to the taxpayer.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has had recent discussions with Tamworth Borough Council on the impact of inflation on its project to regenerate the town centre.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government is committed to levelling up the whole country. Tamworth has been awarded £21.65 million from the Future High Street Fund to deliver regeneration of the Town Centre.
The department understands that inflation is an issue facing many projects. Where requests to re-scope projects are submitted, we are looking to deal with these flexibly, provided changes still represent good value for money. Details of meetings with external organisations are published on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has approved additional funding for the levelling up project in Tamworth.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government is committed to levelling up the whole country. Tamworth has been awarded £21.65 million from the Future High Street Fund to deliver regeneration of the Town Centre.
The department understands that inflation is an issue facing many projects. Where requests to re-scope projects are submitted, we are looking to deal with these flexibly, provided changes still represent good value for money. Details of meetings with external organisations are published on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
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 5 February 2024 to Question 11923 on Levelling Up Fund: Tamworth Borough Council, for what reason this visit was categorised as political rather than ministerial.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Visits are categorised as political if they are organised via political channels and not funded from official resource.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
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 5 February 2024 to Question 11923 on Levelling Up Fund: Tamworth Borough Council, whether the visit of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Levelling Up) to Tamworth was an official ministerial visit.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
It was a political visit made on 4 January 2024 at no cost to the taxpayer.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
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 5 February 2024 to Question 11923 on Levelling Up Fund: Tamworth Borough Council, on what date the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Levelling Up) visited Tamworth.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
It was a political visit made on 4 January 2024 at no cost to the taxpayer.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
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 5 February 2024 to Question 11923 on Levelling Up Fund: Tamworth Borough Council, how the visit of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Levelling Up) to Tamworth was paid for.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
It was a political visit made on 4 January 2024 at no cost to the taxpayer.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has met with (a) Tamworth Borough Council, (b) Staffordshire County Council and (c) Lichfield District Council to discuss heritage assets.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government is committed to levelling up the whole country.
Tamworth has been awarded £21.65 million from the Future High Street Fund to deliver regeneration of the Town Centre, which is home to a number of heritage assets. In addition to this Tamworth been awarded £2.328 million UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
Lichfield, which also has heritage assets, has been awarded £3.285 million UKSPF.
I would like to thank Tamworth for hosting me during a recent political visit to the town centre, to see the impact of our levelling up funding. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on Gov.uk. Departmental officials are in constant contact with counterparts in local government on a wide range of topics.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
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 representatives of Tamworth Borough Council on levelling up funding.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government is committed to levelling up the whole country.
Tamworth has been awarded £21.65 million from the Future High Street Fund to deliver regeneration of the Town Centre, which is home to a number of heritage assets. In addition to this Tamworth been awarded £2.328 million UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
Lichfield, which also has heritage assets, has been awarded £3.285 million UKSPF.
I would like to thank Tamworth for hosting me during a recent political visit to the town centre, to see the impact of our levelling up funding. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on Gov.uk. Departmental officials are in constant contact with counterparts in local government on a wide range of topics.