Ahead of the Government’s statement today on the Levelling Up White Paper, my office has compiled a report on how Government funding has been allocated to regions and counties since 2010. The report shows:

  • The North East has received the smallest increase in identifiable spending since 2008/09, compared to other regions.
  • By 31 March 2022, Durham County Council will have delivered over £246 million in savings since 2011 in order to balance its budgets.
  • County Durham has received a -37.1% cut in Local Government settlement funding and a -1.2% spending power cut.
  • Between 2014-2020 Durham had a ring-fenced allocation of £155 million in EU funding. It is at risk of losing out under the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
  • Durham’s GVA stands as 82.4, slightly lower than the average for the North East, meaning it is 17.6% behind the UK average and 18.8% behind England’s average.
  • The North East received the second smallest increase in Transport spending since 2010/11, increasingly by only £17 per head.
  • The North East has seen the smallest increase in identifiable expenditure on health since 2008-09.

The full report is available here:

February 2022 – NE and County Durham Report