Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are private sector led partnerships between businesses and local public sector bodies. They were established in 2011 to drive economic growth in local areas. There are 38 LEPs in England, each operating across more than one local authority. The government has committed £12 billion to local areas in England between 2015-16 and 2020-21. Of this, £9.1 billion has already been allocated through Growth Deals negotiated between central government and individual LEPs. The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) is accountable overall for the Local Growth Fund and the delivery system within which LEPs invest the funding. The Committee reported on the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership in May 2018.
The National Audit Office (NAO) will report to the Public Accounts Committee on the work of the LEPs and MHCLG in early May. On 13 May the Committee will question the Permanent Secretary and other senior officials from MHCLG on the governance, transparency and value-for-money of LEPs and progress to meet the recommendations set out in previous NAO and Committee reports and Mary Ney's Review of Local Enterprise Partnership governance and transparency, which was commissioned to respond to NAO and PAC concerns.
