Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government which of the powers due to be devolved as part of the devolution agreement with South Yorkshire to the Sheffield City Region Mayor will still be devolved if full consultation has not been carried out by the four local authorities by the time of the mayoral election later this year.

The Government remains clear that the people of South Yorkshire can benefit significantly from devolution. The consolidated transport budget of £20.6 million per annum to 2020/21 has been given to the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority since 2017/18, giving the area greater flexibility over how to fund highway maintenance and other strategic transport improvements, and the Bus Services Act 2017 makes provision in relation to bus franchising for mayoral combined authorities. No further budgets or powers will be devolved unless and until all of the statutory requirements are satisfied, including the area undertaking the necessary consultation.

As I told the House on 31 October 2017 in response to a question from the noble Lord [in Written Answer HL2234], if the leaders of the Sheffield City Region do not at some stage undertake the consultation they will have chosen to walk away from the deal. This would deny the people of the City Region some £1 billion investment from Government and the opportunity for the area to have new powers on transport, development, and skills.