The North West will benefit from investment in transport, business and technology, as the Chancellor set out his plan to reward the hard work of the British People.
This year’s Budget provides a comprehensive plan to support the heath service, our high streets, and ensure working people have more money in their pocket.
Today’s announcements for the North West include:
- Providing up to £37 million to support the development of Northern Powerhouse Rail to create faster, more frequent services. This builds on £300 million already committed to ensure HS2 infrastructure can accommodate future potential Northern Powerhouse Rail and Midlands Engine Rail services.
- Investing £69.5 million for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and £38.5 for the Liverpool City Region though the transforming cities fund. This money will improve inter-city transport links – benefitting passengers, commuters and motorists across the region
- Funding a new £3 million pilot to help employers in the area address local digital skills gaps through short, flexible training courses. This will support the development of the National Retraining Scheme.
- Working with the Federation of Small Businesses to launch a £10 million pilot in Greater Manchester to improve training for the self-employed. This pilot will test what forms of Government support are most effecting in increasing training levels for the self-employed.
- Match funding £7 million with employers in Greater Manchester to provide on-the-job training to young people. This will be for young people not currently in employment, education or training, helping them to move into sustainable career paths
- Investing an additional £13 million across the country to improve access to flood information, helping to reduce damage to homes and lives. This includes an expansion to the flood warning system, protecting around 13,000 more at-risk properties in the North West.
- Providing £100,000 to support the development of proposals for an ‘Eden Project North’ centre in Morecambe.
- Publishing a refreshed Northern Powerhouse Strategy next year to address barriers to productivity. This will build on the success of the existing strategy.
Commenting, Conservative Spokesman for Barrow and Furness said:
‘The Chancellor has set out how the hard work of the British people is paying off, our careful fiscal management and solid economic recovery means that austerity is coming to an end.
‘We have seen a significant upgrade to our public finances, underscoring the strength of the economic recover.
‘Now we turn our eyes to the future, meaning more support for our great public services, help for household budgets now, and investment for the long-term to deliver higher living standards as our economy grows.
‘The people of Barrow and Furness should be pleased with this Budget, especially as it demonstrates the Conservative Party’s continued support of the Dreadnought programme as part of an extra £1bn investment in defence. Unlike Labour who would be a disaster for this area, the Conservative Party continues to act to secure Barrow and Furness’ future.’