Oral Answers to Questions

Steve Double Excerpts

Wednesday 23rd September 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) (Con)]

What steps she is taking to tackle geographic inequality of opportunity in the UK.

[Steve Double (St Austell and Newquay) (Con)]

What steps she is taking to tackle geographic inequality of opportunity in the UK.

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

We are determined to tackle geographic inequality and level up our country. The Equality Hub will look at the data to identify the real barriers that are holding people back.

[Elizabeth Truss]

I very much agree. Often, the differences in wages or employment are greater between regions of the UK than they are in other types of inequality. For example, there is a 28% gap in weekly pay between the north-east and London.

[Steve Double]

I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. She will be aware that people in Cornwall have for far too long faced a disadvantage of opportunity because of our geography. Will she ensure that among all the loud political noise at this time, levelling up geographical inequalities will remain at the heart of this Government’s agenda?

[Elizabeth Truss]

I agree. It is vital that we level up across the country and make sure that someone’s postcode does not dictate their life chances. As I saw when visiting Cornwall’s growing lithium mining industry last week, there are real opportunities to level up and help Cornwall to grow economically and benefit all the people of that great county.