The Government has responded to the National Infrastructure Commission report on Northern connectivity, concluding that ‘enhancing transport connectivity is a crucial element of delivering the Northern Powerhouse, but it is not sufficient on it is own’.
HM Treasury writes:
The government agrees that transformations in transport connectivity should form part of a broader strategy for building a Northern Powerhouse. At the 2015 Spending Review the government announced a major package totalling over £200 billion with investment in business, innovation, health, agriculture and culture as well as transport across the North. The government is also delivering radical devolution of powers across the region; powerful elected mayors have now been agreed for over half of the North’s population.
This process is not complete: the government remains committed to devolving powers throughout this Parliament. In addition, building on the strong progress made through Transport for the North (TfN), at Budget 2016 the government and the North’s major cities made a joint statement of intent to expand the focus to look at skills and employment, trade and investment, enterprise and innovation, and housing. This work will build on the Independent Economic Review commissioned by TfN, which has shown that enhancing transport connectivity is a crucial element of delivering the Northern Powerhouse, but it is not sufficient on it is own.
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