Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the commitment in the White Paper entitled, the United Kingdom's exit from. and new partnership with, the European Union to fully fund all European structural and investment funds projects signed, or with funding agreements that were in place before the Autumn Statement 2016, what estimate he has made of the value of contracts supported by European structural and investment funds for the financial year ending March (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) 2020.

Individual European Structural and Investment (ESI) Fund managing authorities (DCLG, DWP and Defra for programmes in England, the Devolved Administrations in the rest of the United Kingdom and HM Government of Gibraltar) have responsibility for signing contracts under ESI Fund programmes. These contracts are signed by managing authorities as part of operational programmes agreed with the European Commission.

EU Structural and Investment projects that were signed before Autumn Statement 2016 will be guaranteed by the Government after the UK leaves the EU. In addition, those signed in the period after Autumn Statement 2016, but before we leave the EU will also be guaranteed by the Government after the UK leaves, where they provide strong value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities.

To date, managing authorities in England have signed contracts in place for the following ESI Fund programmes:

• European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – England: £1,220m as of September 2017.

• European Social Fund (ESF) – England: £1,326m as of September 2017.

• European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) – England: £2,510m as of June 2017.

• European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) (UK wide): £100.8m as of September 2017.

Many of these contracts will continue into the 2018, 2019 and 2020 financial years.