PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
City Deals: South West (18 May 2020)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of underwriting the City Region Deal for the West of England to remove the financial risk from the unitary authorities of the economic downturn caused as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Asked by:
Karin Smyth (Labour)

The devolution deal agreed between Government and West of England Combined Authority provides the region with several grant funding streams, such as a 30-year commitment to £30m p/a of ‘gainshare’ funding, as well as devolved budgets and powers across transport and skills. Government has committed to these funding streams in the devolution deal it agreed with the West of England – this should provide reassurance to the local area that this funding will continue to come forward.

The constituent Local Authorities of the West of England have received support from a significant package of Government funding to help them meet pressures resulting from Covid-19, with Local Authorities in the region receiving over £50m of the £3.2bn of new grant funding approved.

Answered by:
Mrs Kemi Badenoch (Conservative)
2 June 2020