It found that while the Government aimed to support more investment outside the South East as part of the levelling-up agenda, it was poorly equipped to do so and needed “a UK-wide overview of local strengths, including skills, infrastructure and supply chains, opportunities and how it will market these”.but little else.
MPs also questioned whether the Government is correct to claim that every £1 of public funds spent on supporting investment leads to £5-£6 of additional GDP. They said investments are “long-term projects, and while some may start well, investors may choose to move their operations elsewhere if the environment changes or if things go wrong”.
Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, PAC deputy chair said: “Our report is more confirmation that economic bias towards London and the South East remains baked into the system.“DBT cannot continue to fly blind on how its work impacts and supports investment. Such projects have the potential to transform entire communities with much-needed jobs and growth.
The IfG, which studied the new Civil Service “compound” at Darlington, concluded: “Despite some scepticism at its outset, the Darlington Economic Campus has shown that, if done well, relocation can improve the Civil Service’s effectiveness.