Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether answers to questions on the use of grants and loans by York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to Askham Bryan College were taken into account in respect of decisions on the allocation of resources to the LEP.

The then York, North Yorkshire, and East Riding (YNYER) Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) received local growth funding of £145.9m awarded in three rounds, announced in July 2014, January 2015, and January 2017. The funds were to be spent between financial years 2015-16 and 2020-21.

Funding awards were based on consideration of local Strategic Economic Plans (SEPs), developed by each LEP. Creating skilled and inspired people was a priority in the YNYER SEP and local growth funding supported investment in agri-tech and land-based engineering facilities at Askham Bryan College, as well as a digital farm hub at the College.

A condition of local growth funding allocations to LEPs was that all projects were subject to business cases that met an agreed local Assurance Framework including representing value for money to the taxpayer, being deliverable, and having a strong strategic fit. All LEP investments and investment decisions are publicly available on LEP websites, as the Assurance Framework requires.

In 2020, the Government announced the £900 million Getting Building Fund (GBF) to deliver jobs, skills, and infrastructure across the country. LEPs and Mayors were invited to propose shovel-ready infrastructure projects that would boost economic growth, and fuel local recovery and jobs. Funding awards were based on a consideration of the strategic fit and deliverability of each project. The £15.4m GBF award for the geographically reformed York and North Yorkshire LEP included support for a Digital Skills Academy at Askham Bryan College, again subject to a business case meeting the requirements of the LEP’s local assurance framework as outlined above.