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<p> </p><p>The Government is currently negotiating a ‘Growth Deal' with every Local
Enterprise Partnership, based on the Strategic Economic Plans they submitted in March
2014. The criteria being used to assess the plans are set out in the guidance published
in July 2013. These are: ambition and rationale for intervention; value for money;
and deliverability and risk. Combined authorities, where they exist, are represented
in Local Enterprise Partnerships and will have been involved in the development of
the Strategic Economic Plans.</p><p>Notwithstanding, as I indicated to the rt. hon.
Member in my answers to him of 3 April 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 778W
and 6 May 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 24W, we should be cautious about
any measure which had the effect of transferring power upwards away from elected local
councils. Decentralisation should devolve power to the lowest appropriate level.</p><p>Combined
authorities are relatively new bodies. They now should focus on using the functions
and powers that they currently have and prove themselves on delivering local growth;
we do not intend to repeat the “function creep” mistakes of the Regional Development
Agencies which just became unwieldy and unfocused, taking on too much and failing
to deliver.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p>
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