LORD HESELTINE REVIEW
Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which recommendations of the report No Stone Unturned, published in October 2012 by the right Hon. the Lord Heseltine, have been implemented to date.
Matthew Hancock, Minister of State for Energy: The Government published its response to “No Stone Unturned” by my noble Friend Lord Heseltine in March 2013. That response accepted, in full or in part, 81 out of Lord Heseltine's 89 recommendations.
The Government continues to take forward these recommendations to advance the main commitments of decentralisation and working with business-led Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to unleash the potential of local economies.
The Government has created a Local Growth Fund (LGF) of at least £12bn for the period 2015 to 2021 to drive local growth, which is under the strategic influence of the LEPs.
Funds will be allocated from the LGF as part of the Growth Deals with every LEP, which were announced on 7 July 2014. Earlier this year the government announced further investment of £1 billion in local economies across England by expanding these Growth Deals.
The Government is also supporting those areas seeking to go further, as demonstrated by the devolution deals agreed with the Greater Manchester and the Sheffield City Region areas.
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