UK government minister responsible for replacing EU funds answers critics on trip to Treorchy

THE UK Government Minister in charge of the post-Brexit regional aid programme makes his first official visit across the border in connection with the work – and repeated assurances that Wales won't lose out on the level of funding it would have obtained if we'd stayed in the EU.

Robert Jenrick strolled 150 yards along Treorchy's main street – the present holder from the top British high-street award- going to a boutique, an art beer shop along with a cafe before talking to journalists and then moving forward elsewhere.

Earlier he'd met council leaders to discuss the roll-out from the programme, whose details remain hazy.

The Welsh Government is unhappy that it continues to be sidelined by Westminster.

Whereas the European Commission channelled aid money towards the Welsh European Funding Office (Wefo), a branch from the devolved administration which made decisions about which projects ought to be funded, the UK Government makes it clear that it'll stay in charge, which the Welsh Government will be bypassed.

Mr Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and native Government, didn't leave to some good start as he pronounced the constituency he was at “Ronda”.

Explaining his government's “levelling up” agenda, he said: “Levelling up is all about spreading prosperity to areas so that wherever you develop, be it within the Rhondda or perhaps in big cities like Cardiff, most people have the chance to thrive and prosper.

“We are committed to levelling up every part from the UK, including Wales. So I've been here today with Simon Hart, the Welsh Secretary, promoting the funds that we are deploying like the Levelling Up Fund that local councils such as the council within the Rhondda are applying for, for regeneration, transport, skills – everything we want as we build back better to come out of the pandemic.”

Asked what evidence there was to exhibit that public money was spent better in smaller local pots rather than having a Wales-wide levelling up strategy, Mr Jenrick said: “The Welsh Government, obviously, are investing in the local economy and the future of Wales. We're also doing town and regional deals like the Cardiff deal, that is a lb500m purchase of the long-term way forward for the location.

“We also think that local communities must have a say on stuff that matter to them as well, so the Levelling Up Fund is an chance of every community in the country to think of an agenda for years ahead about how exactly they want to build back better following the pandemic and secure funding in the UK Government to assist them to do this. And we've seen lots of curiosity about that, right across Wales, since we launched it.”

Asked whether he would make sure Wales would receive at least lb375m annually, the same as what it had received from the EU, Mr Jenrick said: “Yes. We have been very clear and made a manifesto commitment at the General Election that we'll ensure that Wales receives just as much funding as it might have done had we remained in the EU.

“And we've already provided more funding than could have been the case – we've come up with Community Recovery Fund [actually the Community Renewal Fund] that is lb220m of more funding that communities right across Wales are now in the process of bidding into.

“The Levelling Up Fund, of course, is on top of that, and that is this chance to invest in smaller projects and capital intensive projects like new roads, like town centre regeneration that will make a genuine impact on places like [Treorchy].”

Asked why the project would involve local MPs and native councillors, although not elected People in the Senedd, Mr Jenrick said: “It's about bringing local communities together, and that we believe that devolution is obviously concerning the Welsh Government but it's also about local communities and councils selection as well. And thus we're relating to the local MP, the neighborhood council, the small businesses of the area, the stakeholders – and we've found this is the best way to do this. If you need to think of a plan for a residential area like Treorchy for the years ahead, then why not involve those who actually live here, why not involve the local council and the MP?

“If they could all get together and coalesce on a plan, we will fund it.”

Pressed on why local MSs were not included – the MS for Rhondda, Buffy Williams, wasn't invited to become listed on yesterday's visit – Mr Jenrick said: “Well their views are definitely warranted. We've worked closely with the Welsh Government to ensure that all this fits together being an overall intend to help us gain levels communities across Wales.

“But we think it will matter that you simply involve people at the lowest level possible when you are thinking about what sort of investment to make – and that is the good thing about the Levelling Up Fund. It calls for countless pounds being committed to the priorities of local people, which could be very specific such things as regenerating high street shops here, purchasing buses, improving trains and buses to get right into a bigger city if necessary.

“So we will be hearing local communities and assisting to fund their priorities.”

Asked through the Western Mail how he taken care of immediately the allegation he was riding roughshod over the devolution settlement, which makes it clear that economic development is really a devolved policy area, Mr Jenrick said: “We were elected to gain levels the entire country at the General Election in 2021, including supporting the people and communities of Wales. So we took powers in the [Internal Market Bill] which enable us how to support communities in Wales, and that's precisely what you want to do.

“We wish to ensure that devolution way of course a powerful and successful Welsh Government, but additionally empowering local neighborhoods and councils to bid set for funding in the UK Government in order to purchase local transport projects, in town centre regeneration, in skills and culture – things that are the more important since we're seeking to the future, past the pandemic.

“We've found lots of enthusiasm from local councils, who wish to take part in this and therefore are now creating a five or 10 year plan for their community, how they may build back better in the pandemic, and this permits them to bid set for as much as lb20m to do that, and that we wish to use them and support them.

“Today I've been meeting the Welsh Municipality Association and a selection of different councils, and located them very supportive of our proposals.”

Asked why Bridgend and Caerphilly had been excluded in the list of priority areas to receive grants in the Community Renewal Fund, and why there is an opaque formula which was much more complicated which qualified regions for top-level EU regional aid, Mr Jenrick said: “You're the very first person who has ever believed to me that the EU structural funds were simple and easy to know. Most people say these were very burdensome, highly bureaucratic and not particularly strategic.

“We want to create something that's better. We have to listen to people across Wales, to local councils and communities, including those that benefitted from the EU structural funds.

“The reason for the Community Recovery [sic] Fund would be to learn, to pilot approaches and from that to draw up the final proposals for that UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

“So if there are things we have to refine, we'll obviously do so, however the approach we've attempted to take is one where there exists a methodology that is published – and every one of the information that we've used is in the public domain, so it's simple enough to access that.

“But we're taking a look at that fund, particularly at those communities that require that extra support for improving the skills base, assisting to get into the chance areas for tackling deprivation.

“For the Levelling Up Fund, that is slightly different, because it's a capital programme, we're looking more at those areas that have historically been underfunded for capital projects, have experienced less investment for transport for instance, are further away from the major conurbations, therefore your way to operate times are longer, and much more investment may be required in better buses or rail services and so forth.”

Asked why the “investment framework” for that funds had not yet been published, despite a promise made last November it could be published in Spring 2021, Mr Jenrick said: “Well we will be aiming later this year the investment framework, which will enable local councils and others who take advantage of the funds to contribute to and prepare for the appearance from the Shared Prosperity Fund, however the final decisions will be taken at the Spending Review through the Chancellor, who'll put down the general quantum of funding.

“So local councils do not have lengthy to wait. Later this season we'll have put down all of the details of the funding for that years ahead. At the moment the priority is concentrate on having your applications into our two funds – the city Recovery [sic] Fund and the Levelling Up Fund, each of which close their first phase on June 18.”

Challenged on why it had been essential to possess a competition instead of simply allocating resources to areas with the most need, Mr Jenrick said: “The very first thing to say is we are investing large amounts of money. The Levelling Up Fund is a lb4.8bn intervention in attempting to support communities to build back better from the pandemic. We all do think it's right though to guarantee the proposals are the most useful they possibly can be from those communities, and also the evidence shows that having a degree of competition raises everybody's game – and that is for that benefit of all communities across the nation.

“We have formulated a methodology which targets resources to those places that require it probably the most, then when you devote an offer of course we'll be judging the strength of the bid – the proposals the particular council or community is putting forward – but we'll be also applying a test to see whether that needs to be a specific priority for investment or not. Which does mean the funding will gravitate towards those places that require it the most in Wales.”

Mr Jenrick said there was “no need” for Welsh individuals to be concerned that they would miss out on funding.

The lb375m per year funding for Wales could be comprised of a number of funds, including European funding which will tail off gradually.