This publication presents the results of our census of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). The census was conducted as part of our report Local Enterprise Partnerships, published in March 2016.
DCLG has made good progress in its design of 100% local business rates retention but faces a challenging timescale for delivery.
The Department for Education should set out the planned overall impact of the programme on productivity and growth.
This report examines the Department for International Trade’s strategy for supporting investment into the UK.
The Department for Business, Skills and Innovation has not used good quality information to decide which science capital projects to invest in to optimise scientific and economic benefits.
For combined authorities to deliver real progress they will need to demonstrate that they can drive economic growth and contribute to public sector reform.
We brought together experts on regulation and Britain’s relationship with Europe to discuss the issues facing regulators following the UK’s exit from the EU.
The role and remit of Local Enterprise Partnerships has grown since 2010, but the approach taken by DCLG to overseeing Growth Deals risks future value for money.
This report looks at the set-up of the UK infrastructure Bank, including HM Treasury’s planning before launch.
The approach to reducing the cost of regulation is set up to ensure that government can hit a £10bn target but misses the point by not truly reducing costs on businesses.
This framework is intended as a useful tool for policymakers and regulators overseeing any given market.
Devolution deals to devolve power from central government to local areas in England offer opportunities to stimulate economic growth and reform public services for local users, but the arrangements are untested and government could do more to provide confidence that these deals will achieve the benefits intended
There is little evidence that government’s commitment to pay 80% of undisputed invoices within 5 working days is having the intended effect of helping the UK’s 5 million small and medium-sized enterprises.
If the government is serious about increasing its use of small and medium – sized enterprises (SMEs), it will need to focus on those areas where SMEs can deliver real benefits.
The GREAT campaign enables government organisations to adopt consistent and effective brand management. To date, Cabinet Office has reported a return of £1.2 billion on its £113.5 million GREAT campaign investment. This is based on anticipated as well as actual expenditure by business, tourists and students.
It has not yet been demonstrated that funding mechanisms for supporting local economic growth are capable of delivering value for money.
Despite providing substantially increased funding for PIDG (up to £700 million by 2015), the Department has not exercised enough oversight to ensure value for money has been achieved.
Wave 1 City Deals encouraged cities to develop capacity to manage devolved funding and increased responsibility. It is too early to tell what impact they will have on growth.
The range of government initiatives to help small and medium businesses gain access to finance are not operating as a unified programme.
Under the Scheme, the Treasury guarantees that lenders to infrastructure projects will be repaid in full and on time, irrespective of project performance. The NAO is calling for the Treasury to be rigorous and objective in assessing whether the guarantees, which transfer risk to the public sector, are genuinely needed.