Oral Answers to Questions

Ben Lake Excerpts

Wednesday 23rd January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Jessica Morden (Newport East) (Lab)]

2. What recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the design of the UK shared prosperity fund.

[Ben Lake (Ceredigion) (PC)]

6. What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the effect of the UK shared prosperity fund on Wales.

[The Secretary of State for Wales (Alun Cairns)]

I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues and Welsh Government Ministers on a range of issues affecting Wales, including on the UK shared prosperity fund.

[Alun Cairns]

I agree that the UK shared prosperity fund will be extremely important to all parts of the UK. My specific interest is protecting Welsh interests in the development of that policy. On 14 January, I spoke to the Welsh Government’s Brexit Minister, Jeremy Miles, to update him on the latest stages of the plans for consultation, and I also committed to sharing that with him before we formally consult. Of course we want to engage with a whole load of stakeholders. There is widespread recognition that the current structure does not work, and we have an opportunity to get it right.

[Ben Lake]

Between 2014 and 2020, Wales will have received £2.4 billion in structural funding, or over 20% of the total UK allocation of EU funds. Will the UK Government ensure that Wales continues to receive at least an equivalent share of funding from the shared prosperity fund?