Michael Gove fails to answer plea for Levelling Up White Paper publication date

The White Paper was originally due to be published last year but in December, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities headed by Mr Gove said it would instead be published in January.

Now in a new letter, Mr Gove said it will come at an unspecified point “in the new year”.

A letter was sent to Mr Gove in December by select committee chairs Clive Betts and Darren Jones asking for “more detail about when in January the White Paper will be published” and further information about “what is holding up the publication of such an integral part of the Government’s policy agenda”.

Mr Betts and Mr Jones wrote: “We understand from reports in the media that the long-awaited Levelling Up White Paper will now be delayed until January 2022 – having already been delayed as the ‘Devolution and Local Recovery White Paper’ from Autumn 2020 and then as the ‘Levelling Up White Paper’ promised in September 2021.”

In a reply sent on December 22 and published this week, Mr Gove does not commit to a specific date.

He said: “Work is progressing well towards a publication in the new year, with the Levelling Up Cabinet Committee having met several times and ministers continuing to work closely together to deliver the Government’s central mission.”

The letter also did not provide any reason as to why publication has been delayed.

But Mr Gove did indicate the White Paper intends to set out a “bold new policy regime” for tackling regional inequality.

His letter said: “As you are aware, levelling up is at the heart of the Government’s agenda to build back better after the pandemic and was at the centre of the manifesto on which the Government promised to deliver for the people of the UK.

“It means empowering local leaders and communities to seize their own destiny; boosting living standards, particularly where they are lower; spreading opportunity and improving public services, particularly where they are weak; and restoring local pride across the UK.

“Levelling up is a transformative and ambitious agenda and the department’s priority is driving work across government to produce a White Paper that matches that vision - including the details of a bold new policy regime that will change the way central and local government tackles regional inequality.”

It has been reported that no new money will be made available by the Treasury to deliver on the Levelling Up White Paper’s aims.

Mr Gove insisted earlier this week that there is enough money to achieve the Government’s levelling up ambitions following increases in departmental spending announced by Rishi Sunak in the recent Budget and Spending Review.

Levelling up 'key to domestic policy'

Levelling up is “the thread that runs through the heart of our domestic policy”, Downing Street said earlier this week.

Responding to calls for Boris Johnson to focus on the agenda, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “You’ve seen we’ve already taken measures, which the Chancellor set out, which allow for significant improvements across the country on things like the Integrated Rail Plan.

“And Michael Gove will be setting up further measures in the Levelling Up White Paper.”

He said the aim was to publish the White Paper this month.

The Department for Levelling Up did not respond to request for comment.

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