Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023

6 Reviews of statements of levelling-up missions

(1) A Minister of the Crown must review the current statement of levelling-up missions, in accordance with this section.

(2) The first review of the current statement of levelling-up missions must be completed, and a report on that review published, within the period of five years beginning with the first day of the mission period in that statement.

(3) Subsequent reviews of the current statement of levelling-up missions must be completed, and the report on the review published, within the period of five years beginning with the day on which the report on the previous review was published.

(4) But a final review of the current statement of levelling-up missions must be completed, and the report on the review published, before a new statement is laid before each House of Parliament in accordance with section 1(9).

(5) The purposes of a review under this section are to—

(a) consider whether His Majesty’s Government pursuing the levelling-up missions in the current statement of levelling-up missions is effectively contributing to the reduction of geographical disparities in the United Kingdom,

(b) conclude whether His Majesty’s Government should continue to pursue those levelling-up missions and, if not, what the levelling-up missions are instead to be, and

(c) consider whether there are any additional levelling-up missions which His Majesty’s Government should pursue.

(6) In the course of carrying out a review under this section, a Minister of the Crown must—

(a) have regard to any role of the devolved legislatures and devolved authorities in connection with the levelling-up missions in the statement, and

(b) carry out such consultation as the Minister considers appropriate with the devolved authorities.

(7) As soon as is reasonably practicable after the conclusion of a review under this section, a Minister of the Crown must lay a report on the review before each House of Parliament and then publish it.

(8) The report on a review under this section must—

(a) state whether His Majesty’s Government considers that pursuing the levelling-up missions in the current statement of levelling-up missions is effectively contributing to the reduction of geographical disparities in the United Kingdom,

(b) state whether His Majesty’s Government has concluded that it should continue to pursue those levelling-up missions and, if not, what the levelling-up missions are instead to be,

(c) state whether there are any additional levelling-up missions which His Majesty’s Government considers it should pursue, and

(d) set out reasons for the statements under paragraphs (a) to (c).

(9) Subsections (10) to (12) do not apply in relation to a report on the final review of the current statement of levelling-up missions.

(10) If the report states that His Majesty’s Government has concluded that it should not continue to pursue the levelling-up missions in the current statement of levelling-up missions—

(a) a Minister of the Crown must revise the statement—

(i) so that it instead contains the levelling-up missions that His Majesty’s Government is to pursue for the remaining mission period, and

(ii) to make any changes to the mission progress methodology and metrics that the Minister considers appropriate in consequence of doing so, and

(b) as soon as is reasonably practicable after revising it, the Minister must lay the revised statement before each House of Parliament and then publish it.

(11) If the report states that His Majesty’s Government considers that it should pursue an additional levelling-up mission—

(a) a Minister of the Crown must revise the current statement of levelling-up missions so as to—

(i) add the levelling-up mission, and

(ii) make any changes to the mission progress methodology and metrics that the Minister considers appropriate in consequence of doing so, and

(b) as soon as is reasonably practicable after revising it, the Minister must lay the revised statement before each House of Parliament and then publish it.

(12) The current statement of levelling-up missions has effect with the revisions made under subsection (10)(a) or (11)(a) on and after the day on which the revised statement is published after being laid before each House of Parliament.

(13) In carrying out functions under this section, a Minister of the Crown must have regard to—

(a) the importance of the levelling-up missions in the statement of levelling-up missions (taken as a whole) addressing both economic and social disparities in opportunities or outcomes, and

(b) the needs of rural areas.