Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
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Tuesday Volume 588 18 November 2014 No. 62 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 18 November 2014 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2014 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 119 18 NOVEMBER 2014 120 Greg Clark: There is more strategic thinking going on House of Commons in Manchester, in conversation with the Government, than ever took place when it was suppressed under the Tuesday 18 November 2014 regional development agencies. It is a tragedy and a disgrace that a city of the eminence of Manchester should be suborned to a region that was designed in The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock Whitehall and enjoyed no local affection. It is emerging from that and emerging strongly, which is much to the PRAYERS credit of the leaders across Greater Manchester. Mike Crockart (Edinburgh West) (LD): Will my right [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] hon. Friend share with the House the progress being made with the first Scottish city deal in Glasgow, and are any discussions taking place with other great Scottish Oral Answers to Questions cities, such as Edinburgh? Greg Clark: The city deal with Glasgow was signed during the summer and it is proceeding apace. The DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER medical research centre will be one of the most exciting, cutting-edge opportunities in the country. It involves a The Deputy Prime Minister was asked— long-awaited connection to Glasgow airport and the city. I have received indications from other Scottish City Deals cities that they would welcome very much a city deal of their own. No decisions have been taken as to whether 1. Mr David Amess (Southend West) (Con): What that is possible, but I listened very carefully to the assessment he has made of the progress of the second representations. wave of city deals. [906043] Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op): The The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Greg Clark): Minister will know that Huddersfield is part of the Twenty-eight city deals have now been concluded and Leeds economic partnership area. We are not against each one is bespoke to the area that negotiated it. city deals—we are very interested in them—but, strategically, Together the city deals have brought about new investment what is their democratic content? What is the plan for in roads, support for small businesses, the regeneration long-term democratic participation? How are we going of derelict sites, employer-led skills training and an to attract good people to come in and be the democratically expansion in the number of apprenticeships. accountable people who run the city deals? Mr Amess: Southend is not just the alternative city of culture 2017; under this Conservative-led Government, Greg Clark: The hon. Gentleman makes a reasonable it is also increasingly seen as the place to do business point. One of the sadnesses of the tendency to suck and to invest. Will my right hon. Friend share with the power away from our great cities to Westminster and House what progress is being made on the delivery of Whitehall is that it reduces the authority and the influence the Southend city deal programme? of the leaders of the cities, towns and counties. Empowering the cities and getting them to enjoy their renaissance is a Greg Clark: I will indeed. I had the great pleasure of powerful incentive for people to come forward with the visiting Southend in March with my hon. Friend and ambition and aspiration to lead them, and that is what my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend we are doing. East (James Duddridge). This is a very good deal for Southend and it is being implemented. Its focus is on 12. [906057] Oliver Colvile (Plymouth, Sutton and supporting small businesses in Southend. Everyone Devonport) (Con): My right hon. Friend very kindly knows that Essex has a formidable reputation for the gave a city deal to Plymouth earlier this year. Does he entrepreneurialism of its people and that is now supported agree that, in order to maximise it, we have to make in Southend. The deal will have the further side-effect of sure that we have good transport links down into the helping to regenerate the area of Victoria avenue, and I south-west? know my hon. Friend the Member for Southend West (Mr Amess) has long championed the need to improve Greg Clark: I agree. It was a delight to be at the that area. Devonport dockyard to sign the Plymouth city deal in the company of my hon. Friend. Of course, the south-west Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab): The relies on good transport connections. He will know that Minister said that city deals are bespoke entities and I the south-west growth deal included a lot of investment certainly welcome the Greater Manchester devolution in roads. He was kind enough to come to Exeter for the package. One of the benefits of the regional development signing of that deal. I encourage him to work with his agencies that this Government scrapped was that they local enterprise partnership to put forward the best new brought in strategic thinking outside city region boundaries, projects for what I hope will be the next round of but that has now gone. What is the Minister doing to growth deals. make sure that we get proper strategic thinking and strategic planning in place so that we do not just end up Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab/ with a patchwork of city deals, but get proper decisions Co-op): The Minister will not be surprised to know that that suit areas wider than city regions? I endorse the comments of the hon. Member for Edinburgh 121 Oral Answers18 NOVEMBER 2014 Oral Answers 122 West (Mike Crockart) about Edinburgh being an ideal a statutory register of consultant lobbyists, which will location for the next round of city deals, particularly for increase transparency and help to drive up standards in one focused on the regeneration of Leith docks, which the industry. happens to be in my constituency. Mr Bain: I am grateful for the fact that the Minister’s Greg Clark: I am delighted that representations are answer did not include plans to repeal the Human coming from all parts of the House for building on the Rights Act 1998 or to threaten to withdraw from the success of our city deals programme. European convention on human rights. Does he agree that such plans would diminish our standing in the Local Growth Deals (Lancashire) world, take rights away from millions of people in the United Kingdom, and cause great harm to the devolution 2. Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con): What settlement in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? discussions he has had with Lancashire local enterprise partnership on the timing and size of the second phase Mr Gyimah: The Prime Minister made very clear at of local growth deals. [906044] the Conservative party conference the Conservative party’s position on the European convention on human rights. The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Greg Clark): As I have said, we have a full agenda for the remainder The first round of growth deals gave a major boost to of this Parliament, which will satisfy all the nations of local economies by investing in transport, skills and the United Kingdom. housing, and by helping businesses to create thousands of new jobs. I am determined to build on the momentum John Stevenson (Carlisle) (Con): Given the recent of the growth deals, so I have invited local businesses announcement of a metro mayor for the Manchester and civic leaders from across England to propose the area, it appears that elected mayors are fashionable next set of projects to be funded from the local growth once more. One barrier to having more elected mayors fund. is the requirement that 5% of the local electorate must sign a petition to trigger a local referendum. Will the Andrew Stephenson: On 15 October, I met representatives Minister therefore consider reducing the 5% threshold of the Lancashire LEP, and I have since made my views to 2% or 1%? known to them about the importance of Brierfield mill and other projects in my constituency. I have also made Mr Gyimah: I thank my hon. Friend for that question. my views known to the Minister. How does Lancashire I am advised by my right hon. Friend the Member for fit into the Deputy Prime Minister’s Northern Futures Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark), the Minister responsible project and the Chancellor’s northern powerhouse project? for cities that councils can resolve to have a mayor and go ahead on that basis, so the 5% threshold should not Greg Clark: Lancashire is absolutely fundamental to be a barrier. the northern powerhouse. For our country to prosper at its optimal level, every part of it needs to be firing on all 9. [906054] Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and cylinders, and that certainly includes Lancashire. My Saddleworth) (Lab): I will give the Minister a second hon. Friend has made a powerful case for the Brierfield opportunity to answer the question asked by my hon. mill development. I look forward to having the chance Friend the Member for Glasgow North East (Mr Bain). to see it in person before long. I encourage him and all How are the Tories’ attacks on human rights and the Members of the House to engage with their local enterprise removal of critical protections for citizens against the partnerships. In my view, Members of Parliament have state meant to help the public? a pretty good idea of what the most important economic priorities are, so they should feed those priorities into Mr Gyimah: The Prime Minister’s position and that the LEPs.