[Mr. Roger Gale in the Chair] — Working Neighbourhood Funding (Leeds)

Part of the debate – in Westminster Hall at 10:50 am on 20 February 2008.

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Photo of John Healey John Healey Minister of State (Department of Communities and Local Government) (Local Government) 10:50, 20 February 2008

No. I have less than a minute. The hon. Lady should talk to the hon. Member for Peterborough about that.

The area-based grant has no strings attached, and it is worth £49 million to Leeds next year. Leeds is one of only 29 areas that receive local enterprise initiative funding—£15 million. There are also Jobcentre Plus, special programmes including the new three-year pathways to work programme for Leeds, European funding, single regeneration budget funding, regional development agency funding and new local authority business-growth-incentive funding for next year. Furthermore, through the local area and multi-area agreements, there will be a chance to pull those measures together, and put pressure and a duty to co-operate on other agencies, which has not been possible before. Those measures potentially put the council in the driving seat, and I hope that it will work with me to ensure that the priorities of worklessness, skills and regeneration are tackled in Leeds.