Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to provide fiscal autonomy to the North West.

The English Devolution White Paper sets out an enhanced Devolution Framework for both existing and new strategic authorities across England. It creates a consistent approach to providing Mayors with the power to decide what is right for their areas. It includes the ability for all Mayoral Strategic Authorities to use a Mayoral Precept on Council Tax on a full range of functions, and the ability to raise a Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy to fund strategic infrastructure once a Spatial Development Strategy is in place. It also sets out a clear and transparent pathway for areas to be designated as Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities and therefore become eligible for an Integrated Settlement. These reforms will also give greater fiscal autonomy to Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities, including those in the North West, by removing the funding silos created by Whitehall.