The timetable for decision-making on the government’s regional growth fund (RGF) was compressed to get money into the economy as quickly as possible, the deputy chair of its Advisory Panel has told CSW.

Asked on Monday whether the process had been sped up, Sir Ian Wrigglesworth replied: “Yes, we went as quickly as we could. We wanted to get successful bids known to the companies that are receiving them, because that gives them the green light to go ahead with the project.”

In an interview with CSW last month, Wrigglesworth said the planned three spending rounds had been reduced to two “to bring the money up front as much as possible.”

On Monday, Wrigglesworth noted that “we’re about three weeks behind the timetable we set ourselves”. An announcement was planned for last week, he said, but the deputy prime minister “pushed it back” to Monday.

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Written by CSW