Member

I have spoken many times in Committee and in this Chamber about the plight of Wessex. Overlooked by the devolution priority programme, the councils that make up Wessex—Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, and Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset—have calculated that the opportunity lost to the region of their exclusion is more than £300 million this year alone. That is £160 per resident of Wessex, which means missed business opportunities, stalled education investment and a go-slow on much-needed transport improvements. I am reliably informed that a foundation arrangement may be just around the corner for us, but there is no solid commitment on devolution round 2, so new clause 24 simply seeks the publication of a strategy and a clear timeline for future devolution.