Third Report - Post-pandemic economic growth: Levelling up
Select Committee
Business and Trade Committee
HC 566
22 July 2021
Government response
Seventh Special Report - Post-pandemic economic growth: Levelling up: Government Response to the Committee’s Third Report · published 3 Dec 2021
Recommendations & Conclusions
6 results
1
Conclusion
Not Addressed
Para 14
The Prime Minister, from the first day of his premiership, identified levelling up as a...
Conclusion
The Prime Minister, from the first day of his premiership, identified levelling up as a major focus of Government policy. It was featured in the Conservative Party Manifesto in 2019 and was a central theme of the programme for government, …
Read more
Government Response Summary
The government's response focuses on the significant impact of COVID-19 on health, the economy, and society, explaining how understanding its long-term implications is crucial for the levelling up agenda. It describes ongoing work to factor this analysis into planning and delivery, but does not directly address the committee's observation about the lack of definition for levelling up itself.
Department for Business and Trade
View Details
6
Recommendation
Not Addressed
Para 31
We recommend that the promised Levelling Up White Paper sets out a coherent plan for...
Recommendation
We recommend that the promised Levelling Up White Paper sets out a coherent plan for levelling up. This must set out, in detail, a road map and timeline for the delivery of the wide range of policies proposed. Fundamentally, it …
Read more
Government Response Summary
The government welcomes the committee's comments on delivery but responds by discussing local government effectiveness, funding, and general levelling up principles. It does not commit to detailing the specific content requirements (roadmap, timeline, problem statements) for the promised Levelling Up White Paper as requested.
Department for Business and Trade
View Details
8
Conclusion
Not Addressed
Para 39
Nor is it clear how levelling up is different to past regional policy and how...
Conclusion
Nor is it clear how levelling up is different to past regional policy and how it will therefore succeed in areas where previous regional policy has failed. Ministers offered no adequate response to this.
Government Response Summary
The government states its commitment to levelling up, outlining DLUHC's central role and the use of priority outcomes and outcome delivery plans from the 2020 Spending Review for accountability. However, the response does not address how levelling up differs from past regional policies or how it will succeed where they failed.
Department for Business and Trade
View Details
11
Conclusion
Not Addressed
Para 53
Regional and local devolution is incoherent and inconsistent across England.
Conclusion
Regional and local devolution is incoherent and inconsistent across England. In some areas, this can result in duplicative and ineffective outputs. In other areas, this results in communities which feel left behind, without the support or capacity provided by other …
Read more
Government Response Summary
The government's response discusses the helpfulness of Local Industrial Strategies and encourages local areas to develop their own economic plans, which would be locally owned and not require government agreement. It does not address the committee's observation about the incoherence and inconsistency of regional and local devolution across England.
Department for Business and Trade
View Details
13
Recommendation
Not Addressed
Para 55
We noted that some regional and local authorities performed better than others, which in some...
Recommendation
We noted that some regional and local authorities performed better than others, which in some cases was due to the size, institutional capacity or leadership provided within those tiers of government. We recommend that Ministers consider how to 34 Post-pandemic …
Read more
Government Response Summary
The government outlines its existing levelling up strategy centered on DLUHC and cross-departmental priority outcomes and Outcome Delivery Plans to ensure accountability, but does not address the recommendation to consider how to report on the comparative effectiveness of different local and regional authorities.
Department for Business and Trade
View Details
14
Recommendation
Not Addressed
Para 61
As we highlighted in our recent report on industrial policy, the local industrial and economic...
Recommendation
As we highlighted in our recent report on industrial policy, the local industrial and economic insights and intelligence that came from creating Local Industrial Strategies should not be lost. We recommend that the Government provide support and funding through its …
Read more
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the value of past Local Industrial Strategies but encourages local places to develop their own economic strategies and evidence-led thinking. It states these locally owned plans would not require government agreement and would build on previous work, rather than committing to support and fund the updating of existing strategies through the Cities and Local Growth Unit.
Department for Business and Trade
View Details