London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 09, 2023

Levelling up: More than 90% of funding not yet spent

Levelling up: More than 90% of funding not yet spent

The UK government has spent less than 10% of its £4.8bn fund for levelling up since its launch in 2020, according to official figures.

The figures, obtained by the Labour Party, show £392m has been spent from the fund as of last month.

The fund awarded £1.7bn to projects in October 2021 and another £2.1bn in January 2023.

It is part of the wider levelling-up agenda, which is designed to address UK regional economic inequalities.

The policy aims to close the gap between parts of the UK by improving transport, education and broadband.

Dozens of projects across the UK have been awarded money from the fund, which was an initiative started by the Conservative government of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Labour submitted a freedom of information (FOI) request to ask the government to confirm how much of the £4.8bn allocated to the fund had been spent.

In its response, the government said a total of £224m had been spent as of 18 January 2023, with that figure rising to £392m by 22 February.

Shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy revealed the figures as MPs put questions to government ministers in Parliament on Monday.

She compared the cost of the government's decision to give high earners pension tax breaks in the Budget earlier this month to the money it had spent on levelling up.

Ms Nandy said: "They can get their act together when it comes to the 1%, but when it comes to investment in our local transport, decent housing, even on delivering on a single one of the levelling-up missions, why is it that the rest of us always have to wait?"

The Liberal Democrats said the government's levelling up plans "are a shambles"."Ultimately the buck stops with Michael Gove, he has overseen a systematic failure to provide much-needed funding to dozens of communities across the country," the party's local government spokesperson Helen Morgan said.

But Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove defended the government's record, arguing that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt had made sure millions of pounds would be spent in his Budget.

"This is a government impactful, effective and focused," Mr Gove said. "And on the other side, I'm afraid, all we hear is the cackle of impotence."

The BBC has asked for a comment from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.


To receive money from the Levelling Up Fund, local authorities can apply for money from the UK government to pay for infrastructure projects. The fund has awarded £3.8bn to 216 projects in total over two rounds.

A total of 111 areas were awarded money from the second round in January this year, including £50m for a new train line between Cardiff Bay and Cardiff Central Station and £27m for a ferry in Shetland.

The North West of England got the most money in both rounds of funding.

But some politicians have complained about the process for allocating the money.

Andy Street, the Conservative mayor of the West Midlands, has criticised the funding process, calling it a "broken begging bowl culture".

He suggested the money would have been allocated better by local decision-makers than civil servants in London.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said "levelling up adds little value to London communities" and called the process for allocating funds "an unmitigated disaster".

Shadow levelling-up secretary Lisa Nandy revealed the figures in Parliament


Labour has said it would end the "competitive-style bidding" process but would not cancel projects that had already been approved.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has argued the most deprived areas would benefit from the money.

In January, Mr Sunak said his government was committed to levelling up "across the UK" and denied politics had influenced the allocation of funds."I think around half the funding we have announced over the course of today, or both funds, has actually gone to places that are not controlled by Conservative MPs or councils," he said at the time.

The government says there will be a third round of the Levelling Up Fund but is yet to announce when this will be made available.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

London Daily
Close
0:00
0:00
The Fed fixing the economy
You Are So Beautiful
Corporations standing up for “LGDP-LGT-LBG-LGBTQ2+ kids” during ‘Pride Month’ be like:
Postmodern Jukebox European Tour Version
US and European Intelligence Agencies Uncover Evidence of Ukrainian Role in Terror Attack on Nord Stream Pipeline
An old French tune (by Georges Brassens) Pomplamoose ft. John Schroeder
Prince Harry to Testify in Phone Hacking Case Against Mirror Group Newspapers
Sattahip Motor Show 20
The driver has been described by authorities as a 21-year-old woman from Tallahassee
SONATE AU CLAIR DE LUNE - Moonlight sonata
Joe Biden falls at the Air Force Graduation
A kiss to build a dream on
America's Got Talent…
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Nvidia Joins Tech Giants as First Chipmaker to Reach $1 Trillion Valuation
Mean Blues
Drone Attack on Moscow's Wealthiest Neighborhoods Suspected to be Launched by Ukraine
La Chansonnette
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to Hold Power Talks with President Biden in Washington
Pattaya Addicts
AI ‘extinction’ should be same priority as nuclear war – experts
Franz Liszt - Liebestraum - Love Dream
Prominent Hacker Forum RaidForums Suffers Substantial Data Breach
Dream a little dream of me
Climate cultists thought they had sabotaged another beautiful event — then the cameraman had his revenge.
Unchained Melody sung like you've NEVER heard!
Nvidia CEO Huang says firms, individuals without AI expertise will be left behind
Dave Brubeck - Take Five
WPP Revolutionizes Advertising with NVIDIA's AI Powerhouse
Édith Piaf - Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien (Sofie)
Two US Employees Fired For Chasing Robbers Out Of Store As They Broke ''Company Policy''
Rondo Alla Turca
Pfizer, the EU, and disappearing ink - Smoke, Mirrors, and the Billion-Dose Pfizer Vaccine Deal: EU's 'Open Secret
Kiss of fire
Actor Tom Hanks told Harvard University graduates to be superheroes in their defense of truth and American ideals, and to resist those who twist the truth for their own gain
Tom Jones - I´ll Never Fall In Love Again 1967, 1989, 2001
The Sussexes' Royal Rebound: Could Harry and Meghan Markle Return to the UK?
Israel Cachao López - Guajira Clásica
A provocative study suggests: Left-Wing Extremism and its Unsettling Connection to Psychopathy and Narcissism
Edward Maya - Stereo Love (feat. Vika Jigulina) (Extended Mix)
France Arrests 10 on Suspicion of Failing to Respond in Time to Migrant Drowning
Strauss - Radetzky March - Karajan
Neuralink Receives FDA Approval for First-in-Human Clinical Study
La vie en rose
Ukrainian Intelligence Official Admits to Assassination Attempts on Putin
The Temptations - My Girl (Smokey Robinson Tribute) 2006 Kennedy Cent
WATCH THIS: democracy in Russia is so bad!
Orlando Cachaito Lopez Redencion
Ed Davey: It is possible for a woman to have a penis
Edith Piaf - NON, JE NE REGRETTE RIEN
Bernard Arnault Loses $11.2 Billion in One Day as Investors Fear Slowdown in US Growth Will Reduce Demand for Luxury Products
RADETZKY MARCH-2008-Wien, New Year Concert
Russian’s Wagner Group leader: “I am not a chef, I am a butcher. Russia is in danger of a revolution like in 1917.”
Only you (And you alone)
TikTok Sues Montana Over Law Banning the App
Strangers In The Night
Ron DeSantis Jumps Into 2024 Presidential Race, Setting Up Showdown With Trump
Charles Aznavour - La Boheme
Steve Jobs introducing Apple's iPhone, exactly 16 years ago.
Summer time
Banking Behemoth vs Ex-Boss: The PMorgan-Epstein Entanglement
Sting and Stevie Wonder - Fragile (from Sting's 60th birthday concert)
China overtakes Japan as world's top car exporter
Aux Champs Elysees
Banking Behemoth vs Ex-Boss: The PMorgan-Epstein Entanglement
Stand By Me - Ben E. King (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Elon Musk's SpaceX and Italy's Unipol join forces to help Italians hit by flooding
La Mer (Beyond the Sea) – Avalon Jazz Band
Talks between US House Republicans and President Biden's Democratic administration on raising the federal government's $31.4tn debt ceiling have paused
She
Biden Administration Eyeing High-Profile Visits to China: The Biden Administration is heating things up by looking into setting up a series of top-level visits to Beijing by top officials in the coming months
Nathalie Song by Enzo Petrachi Stjepan Hauser Cello
New evidence in special counsel probe may undercut Trump’s claim documents he took were automatically declassified
Shape of My Heart - Sting (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
A French court of appeals confirmed former President Nicolas Sarkozy's three-year jail term for corruption and influence peddling
Radiohead - Creep
Debt Ceiling Crises Have Unleashed Political Chaos
Quizás,Quizás,Quizás - Andrea Bocelli - Jennifer Lopez
Weibao Wang, a former software engineer at Apple, was charged with stealing trade secrets related to autonomous systems, including self-driving cars
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - Multi-Couples
Mobile phone giant Vodafone to cut 11,000 jobs globally over three years as new boss says its performance not good enough
Pentatonix Havana
Elon Musk compares George Soros to Magneto, the supervillain from the Marvel Comics series.
Paula Cole - Autumn Leaves
Warren Buffett Sells TSMC Shares Over Concerns About Taiwan's Stability
Oscar Benton Bensonhurst Blues
New Study Finds That Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia Is a Major Cause of Death in COVID-19 Patients Who Require Ventilator Assistance
OH NANANA vs ABUSADAMENTE
Vienna: Passenger Plays Hitler Speeches on Train, Causes Panic
Nina Simone - ”I Put A Spell On You”. Vezi aici cum cântă Jeremy Ragsd
Remarkable video from our Fox drone team
NIGHTWISH - The Phantom Of The Opera
The official tapes of Trump's deposition in the E. Jean Carroll battery (rape) and defamation case have been released.
Motorshow 2016 Tanjay Negros Oriental
Here is the full video that the media are purposely not sharing
Monica Bellucci - Ti Amo
King Charles III being crowned.
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean Milena The Voice France 2018
Newly released video of Donald Trump’s rape trial deposition:
Michael Buble (Help Me Make It Through The Night) feat Loren Allred
Memories Canon In D - Maroon 5 (Boyce Avenue piano acoustic cover)
Matteo Simoni - Marina
Maroon 5 - One More Night
Maroon 5 - Memories
Mark Knopfler - Brothers In Arms (Berlin 2007 Live)
Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - Romeo And Juliet (Real Live Roadrunni
Marina, Marina - The LUCKY DUCKIES intimist live concert at Guimarães
Major Lazer & DJ Snake – Lean On Mauranne The Voice France 2016
Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet - Joslin - Henri Mancini, Nino Rota
LoLa & Hauser - Love Story
Linkin Park Jay-Z - Numb Encore (Live 8 2005)
Hallelujah Mennel Ibtissem, The Voice France Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen - Dance Me to the End of Love
Leonard Cohen & Natasha Rostova - Dance me to the end of love
La casa de papel - Bella Ciao
La Camisa Negra
L'italiano (Toto Cutugno) - The Gypsy Queens
Juanes - La Camisa Negra
Jonathan and Charlotte - Britain's Got Talent 2012 Live Semi Final - U
John Powell - Assassin's Tango
Joe Cocker - You Can Leave Your Hat On (LIVE in Dortmund)
Joe Cocker - Unchain My Heart 2002 Live
Joe Cocker - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Jay Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind LIVE
Jason Mraz - Im Yours (live)
Jarrod Radnich - Bohemian Rhapsody - Virtuosic Piano Solo
James Blunt - You're Beautiful
James Blunt - You're Beautiful & Bonfire Heart (Live at The Nobel Peac)
If You Go Away - Helen Merrill & Stan Getz (Tribute to Virna Lisi)
I'LL BE MISSING YOU
I Say a Little Prayer
Hotel California ( Eagles ) 1994 Live
Historia de un amor - Luz Casal. Vezi interpretarea Biancăi Sumanariu
Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover) on Spot
Heart - Stairway to Heaven Led Zeppelin - Kennedy Center Honors
HAVANA by Camila Cabello Zumba Pre Cooldown TML Crew Kramer Pastra
HAUSER and Señorita - I Will Always Love You
HAUSER - Waka Waka
HAUSER - Sway
HAUSER - Lambada
HAUSER - Historia de un Amor
HAUSER - Despacito
Great Pretender
Georgia May Foote & Giovanni Pernice Samba to 'Volare' - Strictly Come
Gary Moore - Still Got The Blues
GIPSY KINGS VOLARE Penelope Cruz
Fugees - Killing Me Softly With His Song
French Latino - Historia de un Amor
For A Few Dollars More The Danish National Symphony Orchestra (Live)
Flashdance • What a Feeling • Irene Cara
Filip Rudan - “Someone You Loved” Audicija 4 The Voice Hrvatska Sez
Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight
Enya - Only Time
Enrique Iglesias - Bailando (English Version) ft. Sean Paul
Enrique Iglesias - Bailamos
Elena Yerevan Historia de un amor
Ed Sheeran - Shape of You (Official Music Video)
Ed Sheeran - Perfect Symphony [with Andrea Bocelli]
Ed Sheeran - Perfect (Official Music Video)
Easy On Me - Adele (Boyce Avenue 90’s style piano acoustic cover) on S
ERA - Ameno
ELENA YEREVAN- Cancion Del Mariachi-IN STUDIO-2017 DPR
Dust In The Wind - Kansas (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Despacito x Shape Of You - Pentatonix
Deep Purple - Child In Time - Live (1970)
David Foster When A Man Loves A WomanIt's A Mans World (SealMichael Bo
Dance me to the end of Love ( Pi-Air Design )
Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise (feat. L.V.) [Official Music Video]
Conquest Of Paradise (Vangelis), played on Böhm Emporio organ
Cielito Lindo
Chico & The Gypsies - Bamboleo
Canción Del Mariachi - Antonio Banderas, Los Lobos • Desperado
Camila Cabello - Havana (Audio) ft. Young Thug
Camila Cabello - Havana ( cover by J.Fla )
California Dreamin' - The Mamas & The Papas José Feliciano (Boyce Ave
Buster Benton - Money Is The Name of The Game
Hallelujah Pentatonix
Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy (Official Music Video)
Bob Dylan - Knockin' On Heaven's Door Emilia The Voice Kids France
Besame Mucho - Cesaria Evora
Ben E. King - Stand by Me Sax Cover Alexandra Ilieva Thomann
Bella Ciao
Bella Ciao - INSTRUMENTAL
Beautiful in White x Canon in D (Piano Cover by Riyandi Kusuma)
Bad Romance - Vintage 1920's Gatsby Style Lady Gaga Cover ft. Ariana Savalas & Sarah Reich(1)
BELLA CIAO 2020 - KARAOKE ITALIANO
BAMBOLEO - Gipsy Kings • Antonio Banderas, Katya Virshilas
BAILANDO (original)
Awesome Ukrainian yodeler - SOFIA SHKIDCHENKO (with English subtitles)
Avicii - The Nights
Atom - The Great Gig in the Sky
Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (Official Ly
Antonio Banderas - Cancion del Mariachi (Desperado)
André Rieu - Zorba's Dance (Sirtaki)
André Rieu - Can't Help Falling In Love
André Rieu & Mirusia - Ave Maria
Andrew Reyes Elton John - Don't Let The Sun Go Down The Voice 2020 (
Andreas Kümmert Whiter Shade Of Pale The Voice of Germany 2013 Showd
And I Love You So
All About That Bass - Postmodern Jukebox European Tour Version
Alan Walker - Faded (Piano Cover)
Ain't No Sunshine -- Bill Withers (cover by Canen 12 y.o.)
African music
Adriana Vidović - “Creep” Audicija 4 The Voice Hrvatska Sezona 3
Adriana Vidović - “Believer” Nokaut 3 The Voice Hrvatska Sezona 3
A Fistful of Dollars - The Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Tuva
4 Beautiful Soundtracks Relaxing Piano [10min]
2CELLOS - Whole Lotta Love vs. Beethoven 5th Symphony [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
2CELLOS - Smooth Criminal (Live at Suntory Hall, Tokyo)
2CELLOS - Smells Like Teen Spirit [Live at Sydney Opera House]
2CELLOS - Despacito [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
13 Year Old Girl Playing Il Silenzio (The Silence) - André Rieu
094.All About That Bass
00 - SADNESS PART 1
(Ghost) Riders In the Sky (American Outlaws Live at Nassau Coliseum, 1
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You - Bryan Adams (Boyce Avenue ft. Conn
What a wonderful world
Moon river
×