PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Domestic Visits: North of England (21 February 2018)

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many visits Ministers of his Department have engaged in relating to the Northern Powerhouse in (a) Hull, (b) Manchester, (c) Leeds, (d) Liverpool and (e) Newcastle since June 2017; and what was discussed during those visits.

Asked by:
Karl Turner (Independent)

Despite their often challenging parliamentary timetables—and thus the very real need to be in close proximity to the Palace of Westminster for the majority of the week and the majority of the year—Ministers in the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government have undertaken over 50 visits across the Northern Powerhouse, including to the cities of Hull, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, and Newcastle, since June 2017.

This Ministerial team—including the Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry MP—have been out across the North visiting local businesses, civic leaders, and community groups to discuss local priorities and how we can work collectively to deliver stronger economic growth across the whole of the Northern Powerhouse.

For example, in Liverpool City Region—in the first official Northern Powerhouse Partners event since the General Election—we met with the Mayor to discuss how to maximise the Government’s £330 million Local Growth Fund investment in the city region and met with key local businesses to discuss how they can contribute to the Northern Powerhouse project.

In Newcastle we discussed how the recent Autumn Budget saw the Government announce a ‘minded-to’ Devolution Deal with the North of Tyne and a funding boost of up to £1.8 billion for the Northern Powerhouse, including £436 million to improve transport connections within northern city regions through the Transforming Cities Fund.

In Leeds City Region, we discussed how the Government is investing a record £13 billion in transport across the North and how ambitious Growth Strategies can maximise the positive economic impacts of HS2 and other major improvements. We also discussed how Government’s half-a-billion-pound investment in the city region’s local economy, through the Local Growth Fund, is improving transport infrastructure, boosting skills levels, and strengthening business growth.

In Greater Manchester, we talked to stakeholders about how the Government’s bold devolution agenda is giving back power to local areas, driving forward local growth and encouraging stronger global voices for areas across the Northern Powerhouse. We also discussed the recent report which highlighted how the new direct flights between Manchester Airport and China have helped to boost exports by 265 per cent to almost £200 million a month.

And in Hull, we visited the largest Enterprise Zone in the country and discussed how the £141.5 million Government investment in the area is transforming the local economy and providing highly-skilled job opportunities for Hull’s young people. We also discussed how the £400 million Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund is providing finance to SMEs in the area and providing them with the tools they need to expand their operations globally.

Answered by:
Sir Jake Berry (Conservative)
28 February 2018