Category
š
NewsTranscript
00:00 It's a pleasure to be able to welcome you to the EPIC Centre, which is the jewel in the crown of
00:05 Devon's high-tech sector and an integral part of Tech by the Bay project. After our successful bid
00:12 for the levelling up fund announced last year, providing Ā£20 million to our Fish and Chip
00:17 initiative, it shows the confidence that Whitehall has in our established and new industries. It
00:23 shows most of all the ability to create working partnerships between local and central government
00:29 and the need for public and private sectors to cooperate. Now today we have even greater news
00:35 for not just Torbay or South Devon but Devon as a whole as we get to hear from the Minister in a
00:40 second about the devolution deal. So it is without further ado my pleasure to be able to introduce
00:45 Minister Dean Arnott. Thank you. So this is a real moment for celebration, marking the latest
00:54 exciting chapter in a revolution that's extending, deepening and simplifying devolution across
00:59 England, delivering on our commitment at the heart of our levelling up ambitions to strengthen local
01:05 leadership and support communities and businesses to succeed. In the last 18 months we've agreed
01:12 10 devolution deals with 26 local authorities representing over 10 million people across
01:19 England, taking the proportion of the English population covered by a devolution deal from
01:25 just over 40% in 2022 to 60% today, a significant milestone that we look to continue to build on.
01:34 This deal wouldn't have been possible without the support of the council leaders John and David and
01:41 I thank them for that and their teams but also to the members of parliament in Devon and Torbay,
01:47 Anthony and Kevin who are here today, for their commitment to ensuring that we're able to level up
01:53 right across Devon and Torbay. My thanks to them, to everyone who's been involved in getting us to
02:02 this day, the start of a new era and a great opportunity for greater prosperity for the
02:07 people of Devon and Torbay. Thank you.
02:21 [Applause]
02:38 How important is the timing of this deal to the government, particularly given that there's an
02:46 incoming general election? Well I think you know we want to see this deal implemented as soon as
02:51 possible. As I said this deal has been a long time in the making, we've been having discussions with
02:58 Devon and Torbay and Plymouth for a while, for quite some time. I want to see this deal come
03:05 into play as soon as possible because I think it's about making decisions at the right strategic
03:11 level, about giving people control over the things that are important to them. So it's really for
03:18 Devon and Torbay to now decide how long that's going to be. They've got a consultation process
03:23 and obviously will respond to that consultation when it's concluded. But from my perspective,
03:30 I want to give these powers away, I want people to be able to set their own future,
03:36 so as soon as possible for me. So as you said this money is meant for local jobs,
03:40 local housing, local governance. What happens and what are the government's plans if that money is
03:48 misused or the public aren't happy with how that money's been used and they find that this money
03:56 just hasn't worked and this devolution deal hasn't worked? What's the government's plans?
04:02 We've obviously got structures in place to make sure that when we've given powers down to local
04:08 areas that they're using them properly. But if I had any concerns that that would happen here,
04:13 we wouldn't be doing a devolution deal here. The reality is I think that Devon and Torbay have
04:19 shown great willing in terms of their delivery. We've already invested over Ā£200 million of
04:26 levelling up funds across Devon and Torbay. We're sat here today in the Epic Centre which is part of
04:33 the new Ā£20 million investment in a photonic centre in Brixham Fish Market here in Torbay. So
04:40 my view is Devon and Torbay are delivering, let's help them deliver even more.
04:45 Yeah and just finally, so something was leaked to The Guardian last night about a Conservative
04:49 policy called, which is being dubbed British homes for British people, and of course some
04:55 of this money is going to go to local housing. Is that part of the plan for these county combined
05:01 authorities and how might that policy be implemented if at all?
05:06 Well I mean I've not seen The Guardian leak but what I would say is you know in reality social
05:12 housing is a limited stock. We want to see social housing being used for those people who are most
05:19 in need. I don't really have much else to say on it other than that.