Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received form Councillor Byford, Will Roebuck, Marie Gilluley, Liz Town-Andrews, Nick Plant, Mark Robson, and Neville Young

There were no declarations of pecuniary interests at the meeting.

There were no items that required the exemption of the press or public.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 21 May be approved.

The chair highlighted the ongoing work on the economic recovery plan and welcomed guests, Mark Roberts, Liz Gardner, George Lodorfos and Natalie Allen.

The Panel considered a report which provided an update on the latest economic and business intelligence and the latest intelligence around the impact of Covid-19.

Resolved: That the report be noted.

Members discussed a report which provided an update on the impact of Covid-19 on the Leeds City Region Economy

Members discussed the following:

·       That the peer to peer proposition was strong and could be especially beneficial to uplift business in respect of their supply chains.

·       That the businesses that tend to participate in these schemes are already on a strong trajectory and there was a need to reach those business who were not normally as engaged as that was were the most benefit could be felt.

·       That productivity was key and could drive the creation of jobs. The productivity pilot had been underway for two rounds and had been successful. An item on productivity schemes would be brought to the next meeting.

·       That it was vital for productivity to be measured so outcomes / impacts were quantified and visible.

·       That different sectors would experience Covid differently and it was important that the Combined Authority could keep the diverse experiences and sectoral makeup of the regional economy in mind and efforts were tailed to the sectors which needed it most.

·       Members noted the increasing demand in the volume of enquires, which has risen by 80% compared to the corresponding period last year. Access to finance and grant enquires were the two most prevalent issues.

Resolved: That the updates in the report be noted.

The Panel considered a report that provided an update on business support activity.

George Lodorfos and Natalie Allen were in attendance and gave a presentation on the Small Business Leadership Programme which aimed to improve decision-makers leadership skills and help them plan and maximise their business’s potential by improving productivity.

Members recognised the good work being done by Leeds Becket and the value of this programme for the Leeds City Region.

That it was vital that the scheme was had an inclusive and broad application process to ensure that a wide range of businesses in the region had the opportunity to apply.

Resolved: That the report and presentation be noted.

The Panel considered a report which provided an update on the development of a regional Good Work Standard.

The plan sought to ensure that sustainable, high-quality employment which valued diversity, promoted employee health and well-being, and invested in their work force in terms of development and good pay.

The next steps for the good work plan were outlined at paragraph 2.9 of the submitted report which included weighing up options for a regional Good Work standard model, scoping funding sources and developing a critical path for delivery.

Members discussed the link between good work and productivity and that they should be should as mutually complementary.

That the standard would neatly align with the inclusive growth commitments for grant recipients and would provide a more substantial and sustainable benefit.

Resolved:

(i)              That the Panel’s comments be noted

(ii)             That officers progress with the next steps and options to be considered at a future meeting.

The Panel considered a report which provided an update on Trade and Investment activity since the last meeting.

Members noted the pivot strategy which detailed the changes in trade and investment activity in response to the pandemic.

Resolved: That the report be noted

The Panel considered a report which provided an update on the development and implementation for a proposed innovation framework.

The Innovation Framework would enable the Combined Authority to secure future investment to set out the shared ambitions around innovation.

The extensive work to date on innovation would be re-examined in the light of Covid-19 and would be followed by a consultation process.

Resolved: That the report be noted

The Panel were provided with a presentation regarding the Leeds City Region MIT Regional Entrepreneur Acceleration Programme.

Members were supportive of the programme and wanted to provide expertise where it would be beneficial.

Resolved: That the report be noted.

Members considered a report which provided an update on the HealthTech agenda.

The region was recognised for its strength in HealthTech and it formed a key part of both the Local Industrial Strategy and the Economic Recovery Plan.

Members noted the formation of the HealthTech leadership group and the memorandum of understanding was attached at appendix 1 to the submitted report.

Resolved: That the progress made to date be noted.