Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, for what reason the Shared Prosperity Fund people and skills investment priority has been delayed until 2024-25 in England; and if he will make a statement.

We recognise that many high streets, town centres, civic events and cultural organisations have been profoundly affected by the pandemic. The UK Government has a responsibility to support people, businesses and communities across the whole of our United Kingdom. This is why the Fund is initially prioritising pride in place to aid recovery as funding ramps up.

The Government recognises the role that EU structural funding plays in supporting jobs and growth, and disadvantaged people and those furthest from the labour market to access opportunities across the UK. This will continue in many areas until 2023.

Each area will be required to invest a ring-fenced amount of the Fund in local Multiply interventions, an adult numeracy programme worth £559 million, which covers the people and skills investment priority. This will be managed by the Department for Education and further information on how this element of the Fund will be delivered will be set out in due course to assist with local preparations. Further investment to support people and skills will follow from 2024-25, when the funding pot reaches its full extent in this spending review period and EU funding has ended.