Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023

Part 1 Levelling-up missions

Setting missions

1 Statement of levelling-up missions

(1) A Minister of the Crown must prepare, and lay before each House of Parliament, a statement of levelling-up missions.

(2) A “statement of levelling-up missions” is a document which sets out—

(a) objectives which His Majesty’s Government intends to pursue to reduce geographical disparities in the United Kingdom significantly (“levelling-up missions”), within a period specified in the statement (the “mission period”), and

(b) details of how His Majesty’s Government proposes to measure progress in delivering those levelling-up missions (the “mission progress methodology and metrics”).

(3) In the course of preparing a statement of levelling-up missions, the Minister of the Crown must have regard to—

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

(b) the needs of rural areas.

(4) The mission period for a statement of levelling-up missions must not—

(a) begin before the statement has been laid before each House of Parliament, nor

(b) be shorter than five years.

(5) A statement of levelling-up missions must specify a target date for the delivery of each of the levelling-up missions in it, which may be before or at the end of the mission period.

(6) If different target dates are specified under subsection (5) for different levelling-up missions, the statement of levelling-up missions must give reasons for the different dates.

(7) The first statement of levelling-up missions must come into effect before the end of the period of one month beginning with the day on which this section comes into force.

(8) A statement of levelling-up missions comes into effect when—

(a) the statement has been laid before each House of Parliament and published by a Minister of the Crown, and

(b) the mission period in the statement begins.

(9) Before the end of the mission period in a statement of levelling-up missions (“the old statement”), a Minister of the Crown must prepare a new statement of levelling-up missions, lay it before each House of Parliament and publish it.

(10) The mission period in the new statement of levelling-up missions must begin no later than immediately after the end of the mission period in the old statement.

(11) When the new statement of levelling-up missions comes into effect it replaces the old statement, which ceases to have effect.

(12) References in this Part to the current statement of levelling-up missions are to the statement of levelling-up missions for the time being in effect.

2 Statement of levelling-up missions: devolution

(1) In the course of preparing a statement of levelling-up missions, 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.

(2) A Minister of the Crown must prepare a document which sets out how the Minister has complied with subsection (1)(a).

(3) A Minister of the Crown must lay the document mentioned in subsection (2) before each House of Parliament, and publish it, at the same time as, or as soon as is reasonably practicable after, the statement of levelling-up missions is so laid and published.

Reporting on missions

3 Annual etc reports on delivery of levelling-up missions

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

(2) In the course of preparing each report, the Minister of the Crown must have regard to the needs of rural areas.

(3) Each report must—

(a) include the Minister’s assessment of the progress that has been made, in the period to which the report relates, in delivering each of the levelling-up missions in the current statement of levelling-up missions as it has effect at the end of that period,

(b) describe what has been done, in that period, by His Majesty’s Government to deliver each of those levelling-up missions, and

(c) set out what His Majesty’s Government plans to do in the future to deliver each of those levelling-up missions.

(4) The Minister’s assessment under subsection (3)(a) must be carried out by reference to the mission progress methodology and metrics in the current statement of levelling-up missions as it has effect at the end of the period to which the report relates.

(5) If His Majesty’s Government considers that it is no longer appropriate for it to pursue a levelling-up mission in the current statement of levelling-up missions, the report may state that His Majesty’s Government no longer intends to pursue that mission, instead of dealing with the matters mentioned in subsection (3) in relation to that mission.

(6) If a report contains a statement under subsection (5), it must also set out the reasons for the statement being made.

(7) In the course of preparing a report on the delivery of the levelling-up missions, a Minister of the Crown must carry out such consultation as the Minister considers appropriate with the devolved authorities.

(8) The first report in relation to a statement of levelling-up missions must relate to the first 12 months of the mission period in the statement.

(9) Subsequent reports in relation to a statement of levelling-up missions must relate to—

(a) the 12 month period immediately following the 12 month period in relation to which the previous report relating to the statement was prepared, or

(b) if shorter, the period—

(i) beginning immediately after the 12 month period in relation to which the previous report relating to the statement was prepared, and

(ii) ending at the end of the mission period in the statement.

4 Reports: Parliamentary scrutiny and publication

(1) A report under section 3 must be laid before each House of Parliament before the end of the period of 120 days beginning immediately after the last day of the period to which the report relates.

(2) After a report has been laid before Parliament under subsection (1), a Minister of the Crown must publish it as soon as is reasonably practicable.

(3) In calculating the period of 120 days mentioned in subsection (1), no account is to be taken of any time during which—

(a) Parliament is dissolved or prorogued, or

(b) either House of Parliament is adjourned for more than 4 days.

Revision of methodology and metrics or target dates

5 Changes to mission progress methodology and metrics or target dates

(1) This section applies if a Minister of the Crown considers that the mission progress methodology and metrics, or the target date for the delivery of a levelling-up mission, in the current statement of levelling-up missions should be changed.

(2) The Minister—

(a) may revise the current statement of levelling-up missions so as to change the mission progress methodology and metrics or (as the case may be) target date, and

(b) as soon as is reasonably practicable after doing so, must—

(i) publish a statement setting out the reasons for the mission progress methodology and metrics, or target date, being changed, and

(ii) lay the revised statement of levelling-up missions before each House of Parliament and then publish it.

(3) In discharging functions under this section, a Minister of the Crown must have regard to the needs of rural areas.

(4) The current statement of levelling-up missions has effect with the revisions made under subsection (2) on and after the day on which it is published after being laid before each House of Parliament.

(5) Before making any revisions under subsection (2), 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 mission to which the revision relates, and

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

Review of missions

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.

Levelling-up funding

7 Levelling Up Fund Round 3

(1) Before the end of the period of three months beginning with the day on which this Act is passed, a Minister of the Crown must lay before each House of Parliament a statement on Levelling Up Fund Round 3.

(2) A “statement on Levelling Up Fund Round 3” is a statement about the allocation of a third round of funding from the Levelling Up Fund.

(3) The “Levelling Up Fund” is the programme run by His Majesty’s Government which is known as the Levelling Up Fund and was announced on 25 November 2020.

General

8 Interpretation of Part 1

In this Part—

• “current statement of levelling-up missions” has the meaning given by section 1(12);

• “devolved authorities” means—

  (a)

  the Scottish Ministers,

  (b)

  the Welsh Ministers, and

  (c)

  the Northern Ireland departments;

• “devolved legislatures” means—

  (a)

  the Scottish Parliament,

  (b)

  Senedd Cymru, and

  (c)

  the Northern Ireland Assembly;

• “geographical disparities” means geographical disparities in economic, social or other opportunities or outcomes;

• “His Majesty’s Government” means His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom;

• “levelling-up mission” has the meaning given by section 1(2)(a);

• “Minister of the Crown” has the same meaning as in the Ministers of the Crown Act 1975;

• “mission period” has the meaning given by section 1(2)(a);

• “mission progress methodology and metrics” has the meaning given by section 1(2)(b);

• “statement of levelling-up missions” has the meaning given by section 1(2).