Downing Street rejects suggestion of creating dedicated 'levelling up' minister

Former head of the Civil Service Lord Bob Kerslake told a Commons committee this morning that without such a position, the Government’s agenda which helped it win last year’s election was threatened.

Lord Kerslake, who is the chairman of the independent 2070 Commission on regional inequalities, said: “We do need a Government minister at senior level in the Cabinet to take the lead on levelling up, I really worry that we have very little definition of Government plans and I think that risks its credibility unless that gets sorted.”

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps currently hold the Northern Powerhouse title, but this was previously a standalone role when Jake Berry held the brief.

But the Prime Minister’s official spokesman rejected the idea and said: “I think the Prime Minister would point to the fact that the entire Cabinet is focused on a levelling up agenda, whether that be in terms of schools, hospitals, or transport.

“The Prime Minister's made levelling up one of the key parts of this Government and as I say, all of the Cabinet is focussed around that.”

Also speaking at the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee today, director of the Northern Powerhouse think tank said that both Whitehall and local leaders shared a responsibility for delivering on the change.

He said that while the Government had to provide the funding, that “the idea that Government departments can do this through initiatives or their own programs is not credible”.

And he added: “I think what we would say is that the primary building block for delivery has got to be devolution.”

This was echoed by Lord Kerslake who added: “I think the responsibility is both central and local, it is not one or the other, it's both.

“Central government needs to have a clear plan, which is comprehensive, long-term and large-scale, go big is what we called it.

“But the delivery and the initiative very much needs to be local, to the lowest possible level.”

Mr Murison said it was key that areas could “drive the agenda, rather than getting scraps from the table”, especially in areas such as research and development.

He said: “The Government is serious about increasing R&D spending it should be doing it in the regions, and that's probably one of the most important things we could do to genuinely achieve leveling up, without it what you'll instead see is scarce resources going to suboptimal outcomes.”

While Lord Kerslake said that while it would be a national effort, local areas would need to establish what areas of expertise they would develop.