Part 1Levelling-up missions
Setting missions
I11Statement of levelling-up missions
1
A Minister of the Crown must prepare, and lay before each House of Parliament, a statement of levelling-up missions.
2
A “statement of levelling-up missions” is a document which sets out—
a
objectives which His Majesty’s Government intends to pursue to reduce geographical disparities in the United Kingdom significantly (“levelling-up missions”), within a period specified in the statement (the “mission period”), and
b
details of how His Majesty’s Government proposes to measure progress in delivering those levelling-up missions (the “mission progress methodology and metrics”).
3
In the course of preparing a statement of levelling-up missions, the Minister of the Crown must have regard to—
a
the importance of the levelling-up missions in the statement (taken as a whole) addressing both economic and social disparities in opportunities or outcomes, and
b
the needs of rural areas.
4
The mission period for a statement of levelling-up missions must not—
a
begin before the statement has been laid before each House of Parliament, nor
b
be shorter than five years.
5
A statement of levelling-up missions must specify a target date for the delivery of each of the levelling-up missions in it, which may be before or at the end of the mission period.
6
If different target dates are specified under subsection (5) for different levelling-up missions, the statement of levelling-up missions must give reasons for the different dates.
7
The first statement of levelling-up missions must come into effect before the end of the period of one month beginning with the day on which this section comes into force.
8
A statement of levelling-up missions comes into effect when—
a
the statement has been laid before each House of Parliament and published by a Minister of the Crown, and
b
the mission period in the statement begins.
9
Before the end of the mission period in a statement of levelling-up missions (“the old statement”), a Minister of the Crown must prepare a new statement of levelling-up missions, lay it before each House of Parliament and publish it.
10
The mission period in the new statement of levelling-up missions must begin no later than immediately after the end of the mission period in the old statement.
11
When the new statement of levelling-up missions comes into effect it replaces the old statement, which ceases to have effect.
12
References in this Part to the current statement of levelling-up missions are to the statement of levelling-up missions for the time being in effect.