Agenda item

A report was presented which provided Members with an update on key Mayoral activity relating to the economic agenda.

Updates were provided on:-

·         The Comprehensive Spending Review, Integrated Rail Plan and Levelling Up.

·         City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement Bid.

·         Local skills support for South Yorkshire’s Learners.

·         South Yorkshire Health and Wellbeing Mayoral Community Fund.

On behalf of the Board, Mayor Jarvis MBE wished to extend his warmest congratulations to Dame Sarah Storey, SCR’s Active Travel Commissioner who had recently become Britain’s most successful Paralympic athlete in both swimming and cycling.  Dame Storey continued to undertake extremely important work for South Yorkshire in promoting the active travel agenda.  It was envisaged to hold a physical event to mark Dame Storey’s recent success.  The LEP Board Members would be invited to the event.

Over the upcoming couple of weeks, Mayor Jarvis MBE would focus upon re-engaging with the Government on the levelling up agenda.  He considered that the Comprehensive Spending Review at the end of October 2021 would be a critical point for the Government to demonstrate and evidence their practical commitment to the levelling up agenda by investing in the regions and the mayoral combined authorities.  He expressed concern that the details of the Integrated Rail Plan were still unavailable.  However, he would continue to make the case to Government to publish the Integrated Rail Plan, which was critically important in relation to transport infrastructure which had the potential to significantly benefit the regional economies.

The Board noted the importance of the work underway for the SCR Sustainable Transport Settlement Bid, and the huge effort made by the SCR team and all of the local authorities to draw together the bid, which would be submitted to the Department for Transport on 15 September 2021.

It was anticipated that the Government would confirm the outcome of the previously submitted levelling up fund bid during the announcement of the Comprehensive Spending Review.  Mayor Jarvis MBE had a debate scheduled in Parliament later in the week, which would specifically relate to the levelling up agenda, which would be responded to by the Treasury.  Members noted that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government faced massive fiscal pressures.

A discussion had recently been held with Mayor Jarvis MBE, Dr Smith and others with Neil O’Brien, who had been charged by the Prime Minister to take forward the levelling up agenda.  The SCR was currently drawing up a Comprehensive Spending Review proposal to highlight the key areas for investment.

In relation to the Comprehensive Spending Review, P Kennan suggested that the Board should undertake a joint communication with Mayor Jarvis MBE over the upcoming few weeks, in order to push the business case alongside the political case.

J Muir agreed to P Kennan’s suggestion, however he suggested that it should relate to supporting the input into the Comprehensive Spending Review and to ensure that there was a collective voice.  He was happy to engage further with P Kennan on the matter.  He requested Dr Smith to liaise with Mayor Jarvis MBE on the matter, with a view to reporting back to the Board on the actions that had been taken in relation to the communications.

Mayor Jarvis MBE was confident that the SCR product submitted to the Government would be strong, however he highlighted the need for a common strategy.  The Comprehensive Spending Review was pivotal to the SCR which would set out the Government’s investment plans for the next 3 years.

Dr Smith suggested that this should be considered as a campaign, rather than as a one off set of statements.  He did not consider that the individual submissions to the Treasury by the end of September 2021 would make a great impact on the fiscal position.  He considered that the larger opportunity for the SCR was to attempt to influence the outcome of the CSR in terms of the Government’s own policies for levelling up, the transport forums and the UK share prosperity fund, which would lead to funding for levelling up and the associated innovation strategy material which would be reflected within the CSO.

J Muir welcomed the engagement of Mayor Jarvis MBE with the MP’s on the matter.  He considered that the private sector Board Members could undertake further engagement, which could essentially enable the Board to reach all of the MP’s within South Yorkshire.  He suggested that Mayor Jarvis MBE, Dr Smith and himself could consider targeting specific individuals, in order to push the agenda.

J Muir expressed his thanks to Mayor Jarvis MBE for his presentation.

RESOLVED – That Members noted the update.