Agenda item

(Lead Member: The Mayor, Director: Alan Reiss)

Resolved:

(a)      That the Combined Authority indicatively approves funding from the Single Investment Fund to enable progress to be made in key priority areas, with full approval to spend being granted once the project has progressed through the assurance process in line with the Combined Authority’s Assurance Process. The indicative funding requested is:

·       £500k to support scheme development relating to business support.
 

·       £400k over three years to enable the recruitment of the Inclusivity Champion and further progress a pipeline of inclusive growth work.

(b)      That the Combined Authority notes that £190k from the £500k of SIF funding which was previously provisionally allocated to support scheme development relating to culture and creative industries and lead a creative new deal, is to be used to fund the Beyond Bronte’s programme, subject to Assurance Framework approvals.

(c)      That the Combined Authority delegates to the Finance, Resources and Corporate Committee, the approval for the programmes set out in the report to pass through Decision Point 2, totalling no more than £0.9m of funding from the Single Investment Fund.

The Combined Authority considered a report from the Director of Strategy, Communications and Policing on funding for the West Yorkshire Mayor’s pledges relating to business support and inclusive growth.

To support equality, diversity and inclusion in the recovery of the region, £400k was requested to progress a pipeline of inclusive growth work over three years. This would enable recruitment of an Inclusivity Champion as well as the development of a new programme focusing on areas of intervention that would complement the existing business support offered by the Combined Authority and local partners. This would build on the work done by the Inclusive Growth and Public Policy Panel prior to becoming a Mayoral Combined Authority. 

A package of £500k was also requested to support local businesses and to allow the Mayor to act as a champion for the regional economy through the development of new programmes and business support measures. It would also be used to support the growth of co-operative, social-enterprise and worker-owned businesses; these businesses were praised as being resilient and community-focused, and a strong partner in sustainable growth. Members requested clarification on whether the requested package would be delivered over a three year period as in the case of the inclusive growth package; officers advised that the development funding was expected to take place over a shorter period of time.

Members supported the push for greater inclusivity in business, but questioned whether a benchmark of some sort would be used regarding this, what the benefits of such an approach may be, and whether sanctions would potentially exist for businesses that did not meet any of the suggested standards. The Fair Work Charter, which launched its development earlier in the week, would set out aspects of businesses the Combined Authority wanted to do business with and promote. Measures such as paying a real living wage, taking steps to promote inclusivity, or working to eliminate the gender pay gap would all be celebrated as examples of good business practices, and similar work already done in the Greater Manchester and Liverpool regions was being used to inform the development of this charter. There was no legislation in place to support sanctions against businesses choosing not to follow the charter, but it was hoped that businesses would be encouraged and incentivised to work toward its goals.

Members questioned whether the Mayor had noticed any issues with inclusivity not being considered thoroughly enough within the Combined Authority in decision-making. Officers advised that a great deal was being done to try to improve inclusivity within the Combined Authority, but noted it was always possible to achieve more, and the hope was that the Inclusivity Champion would be of great assistance in this. Although the specifics of the role had not yet been decided, the experience and skills needed to maintain the needed independence for effective challenge would be built into the role profile.

The historical work on inclusivity that had been done by the Inclusive Growth and Public Policy Panel was discussed by Members, and the importance of preserving both the passion for this work as well as the talent that had been developed was noted. The Covid-19 pandemic had highlighted serious inequalities that still existed, and it was hoped that the opportunities afforded by devolution and through measures such as the introduction of an Inclusivity Champion would allow new heights to be reached in combatting these inequalities.

It was noted that following the approval of the Creative New Deal funding at the previous meeting of the Combined Authority, £190k of this funding would be used to fund the Beyond Bronte’s programme, which worked to support 18-24 year olds from diverse and disadvantaged communities in the Leeds City Region in gaining skills and contacts in the creative industries through work placements.

Resolved:

(a)      That the Combined Authority indicatively approves funding from the Single Investment Fund to enable progress to be made in key priority areas, with full approval to spend being granted once the project has progressed through the assurance process in line with the Combined Authority’s Assurance Process. The indicative funding requested is:

·       £500k to support scheme development relating to business support.
 

·       £400k over three years to enable the recruitment of the Inclusivity Champion and further progress a pipeline of inclusive growth work.

(b)      That the Combined Authority notes that £190k from the £500k of SIF funding which was previously provisionally allocated to support scheme development relating to culture and creative industries and lead a creative new deal, is to be used to fund the Beyond Bronte’s programme, subject to Assurance Framework approvals.

(c)      That the Combined Authority delegates to the Finance, Resources and Corporate Committee, the approval for the programmes set out in the report to pass through Decision Point 2, totalling no more than £0.9m of funding from the Single Investment Fund.