Lords question for short debate on what assessment they have made of the economic benefits of giving sports clubs special enterprise zone status.

Lords question for short debate on what assessment they have made of the economic benefits of giving sports clubs special enterprise zone status.

My Lords, I had the privilege and honour of serving in the Blair Government under Richard Caborn and Tessa Jowell for five years and being in the private discussions around the Olympic legacy and the Olympic Park. The one thing more than anything that I took from that was that...

My Lords, I had the privilege and honour of serving in the Blair Government under Richard Caborn and Tessa Jowell for five years and being in the private discussions around the Olympic legacy and the Olympic Park. The one thing more than anything that I took from that was that...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Mann, makes a very good case and I hope that what I say is interpreted as supportive of it.

My support for Brighton and Hove Albion is well known, and I declare it as a relevant interest in this debate. In fact, I have often...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Mann, makes a very good case and I hope that what I say is interpreted as supportive of it.

My support for Brighton and Hove Albion is well known, and I declare it as a relevant interest in this debate. In fact, I have often...

My Lords, I thank the Grand Committee for allowing me to speak in the gap. I also thank the noble Lord, Lord Mann, for this disappointingly short but important debate. It is important because it is clear how much sports clubs contribute to civil society, our health and our economy....

My Lords, I thank the Grand Committee for allowing me to speak in the gap. I also thank the noble Lord, Lord Mann, for this disappointingly short but important debate. It is important because it is clear how much sports clubs contribute to civil society, our health and our economy....

My Lords, when I first saw the title of this debate, I immediately asked myself, which sports clubs? My reflex was to think of small amateur sports clubs, which are the backbone of many a social structure. They are microstructures for employment and so on. Then, after two seconds I...

My Lords, when I first saw the title of this debate, I immediately asked myself, which sports clubs? My reflex was to think of small amateur sports clubs, which are the backbone of many a social structure. They are microstructures for employment and so on. Then, after two seconds I...

My Lords, I am very pleased to respond to this QSD. I thank my noble friend Lord Mann for securing this debate and opening it—because it gives me an opportunity to talk about football, which is never a bad thing as far as I am concerned, but also because it...

My Lords, I am very pleased to respond to this QSD. I thank my noble friend Lord Mann for securing this debate and opening it—because it gives me an opportunity to talk about football, which is never a bad thing as far as I am concerned, but also because it...

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the process is for amending an enterprise zone's boundaries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the process is for amending an enterprise zone's boundaries.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what her policy is on business rate relief in (a) freeports, (b) investment zones and (b) legacy enterprise zones; and how that relief will apply to the new business rate multiplier on hereditaments over £500,000 rateable value.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what her policy is on business rate relief in (a) freeports, (b) investment zones and (b) legacy enterprise zones; and how that relief will apply to the new business rate multiplier on hereditaments over £500,000 rateable value.

There are currently 48 operational Enterprise Zones in England. Similar policies have been adopted by the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Businesses in these small areas will benefit from tax and planning concessions and superfast broadband.

There are currently 48 operational Enterprise Zones in England. Similar policies have been adopted by the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Businesses in these small areas will benefit from tax and planning concessions and superfast broadband.

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to extend the lifespan of enterprise zones for a further ten years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to extend the lifespan of enterprise zones for a further ten years.

I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the Member for Great Yarmouth. We have no plans at present to amend enterprise zones, but I am keen to ensure that their constituents continue to reap the rewards of levelling up, including the £100 million of investment for Sizewell C and freeport east, which will generate thousands of jobs across his region in new low-carbon technology.

I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the Member for Great Yarmouth. We have no plans at present to amend enterprise zones, but I am keen to ensure that their constituents continue to reap the rewards of levelling up, including the £100 million of investment for Sizewell C and freeport east, which will generate thousands of jobs across his region in new low-carbon technology.

The Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft enterprise zone, which was set up in 2012, has been very successful. With no investment zones in the east of England, will my hon. Friend meet my right hon. Friend the Member for Great Yarmouth (Sir Brandon Lewis) and me to consider how best the enterprise zone can be enhanced, so that it can continue to create jobs in the low-carbon energy sector?

The Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft enterprise zone, which was set up in 2012, has been very successful. With no investment zones in the east of England, will my hon. Friend meet my right hon. Friend the Member for Great Yarmouth (Sir Brandon Lewis) and me to consider how best the enterprise zone can be enhanced, so that it can continue to create jobs in the low-carbon energy sector?

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations of the effectiveness of enterprise zones in each region.

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations of the effectiveness of enterprise zones in each region.

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to flag up the value that successful enterprise zones can bring to local communities. I want to see DSIT sectors benefiting as well, and I am happy to co-ordinate further with colleagues in other Departments to explore those opportunities.

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to flag up the value that successful enterprise zones can bring to local communities. I want to see DSIT sectors benefiting as well, and I am happy to co-ordinate further with colleagues in other Departments to explore those opportunities.

Will the Minister help to co-ordinate a comprehensive analysis of the most successful enterprise zones across the UK and the ways in which zones that have not been as successful can maximise the opportunities such zones provide, such as in Coleraine in my constituency?

Will the Minister help to co-ordinate a comprehensive analysis of the most successful enterprise zones across the UK and the ways in which zones that have not been as successful can maximise the opportunities such zones provide, such as in Coleraine in my constituency?

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Levelling Up in the East of England report published by the East of England APPG and the East of England Local Government Association on 13 December 2022, if he will make it his policy...

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Levelling Up in the East of England report published by the East of England APPG and the East of England Local Government Association on 13 December 2022, if he will make it his policy...

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Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con):

The all-party parliamentary group for the east of England has carried out a review of levelling up in the region. It has found that although a good start has been made, there are five of the White Paper missions in whose delivery there is low confidence, four in which there is medium confidence and only three in which confidence is high. I would be most grateful if the Minister provided a full written response to the report, but in the first instance will she seek to make Lowestoft’s enterprise zone an investment zone? That would underpin and support levelling up.

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Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con):

The all-party parliamentary group for the east of England has carried out a review of levelling up in the region. It has found that although a good start has been made, there are five of the White Paper missions in whose delivery there is low confidence, four in which there is medium confidence and only three in which confidence is high. I would be most grateful if the Minister provided a full written response to the report, but in the first instance will she seek to make Lowestoft’s enterprise zone an investment zone? That would underpin and support levelling up.

Pitch for Lowestoft heard loud and clear! The Chancellor announced at the time of the autumn statement that the existing investment zones programme would be refocused to

“catalyse a limited number of the highest potential knowledge-intensive growth clusters”.

Our Department will work closely with key partners on how best to identify and support those clusters. My officials have read the APPG’s report; we will respond in full in due course.

Pitch for Lowestoft heard loud and clear! The Chancellor announced at the time of the autumn statement that the existing investment zones programme would be refocused to

“catalyse a limited number of the highest potential knowledge-intensive growth clusters”.

Our Department will work closely with key partners on how best to identify and support those clusters. My officials have read the APPG’s report; we will respond in full in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the need for Investment and Enterprise zones with (a) generous tax reductions and (b) easy access to planning permissions for accelerated development.

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the need for Investment and Enterprise zones with (a) generous tax reductions and (b) easy access to planning permissions for accelerated development.

My hon. Friend is a doughty champion for the people and businesses of Stoke-on-Trent Central. I have had the pleasure of meeting the award-winning animators of Carse & Waterman, who have even worked on “Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.”

I know that my hon. Friend took the Chief Secretary to...

My hon. Friend is a doughty champion for the people and businesses of Stoke-on-Trent Central. I have had the pleasure of meeting the award-winning animators of Carse & Waterman, who have even worked on “Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.”

I know that my hon. Friend took the Chief Secretary to...