Beyond Whitehall full-day conference

It is now almost five years since the then Chancellor announced the Places for Growth programme as part of the March 2020 Budget. Since then almost 20,000 civil service roles have been relocated outside of London, broadening the base of talent the civil service can draw from. The Darlington campus is a flagship site.

In parallel, a stronger regional tier of policymaking has been established as combined authorities have grown and more powers have been devolved to them – something the current Government is taking further with an ambitious White Paper published at the end of last year.

Together, the move of the civil service out of London and a devolution revolution to locate more power locally presents a rare opportunity to build a much more joined-up system of government throughout the UK.

This conference will explore how a new, radical approach to policymaking and economic growth that is place-based, and built on genuine partnership working between central and local government, can deliver real benefits – boosting productivity, innovating in public services and turbocharging local economies.

Keynote addresses:

• Lord Livermore, Financial Secretary to HM Treasury
• Beth Russell, Second Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury

Panel 1: Efficiency and effectiveness: sharing best practice in government 

This panel will explore the lessons from what works and how central and local government can collaborate more closely to achieve this.

• Ravi Chand CBE, Director, Places for Growth, Cabinet Office
• Helen Dickinson, Director, Business and International Tax, HM Treasury
• James Farrar, Chief Executive, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority
  
• Dr Jennifer Manuel, Deputy Director, Systems Design, Building and Resilience Group, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Panel 2: From Darlington to Dover: supporting local economies

This panel will explore the lessons from what works and how central and local government can collaborate more closely to achieve this.

• Tom Bryant, Chief Executive, Tees Valley Combined Authority
• Rose Rouse, Chief Executive, Darlington Borough Council
• Matt Russell, Deputy Director, Localism Strategy, Department for Work and Pensions
• Silkie Whitworth, Head of Funding and Fiscal Events, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

The conference is being held in partnership with HM Treasury at the Darlington Economic Campus.