Tory MPs express unease over £1.6bn boost for poorer towns

The government has come under immediate pressure from its own MPs over a £1.6bn funding boost for deprived English towns, as it emerged the guaranteed spending in some regions would amount to as little as 58p per person per year. The money, to be spent over seven years, includes £1bn pre-allocated to various English regions, ranging from £281m for the north-west to £33m for the south-west. The other £600m will be available to any region via a bidding process.