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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 25 February to Question 126535 on European Social Fund and UK Shared Prosperity Fund, if he will list the types of organisations his Department plans to consult to inform the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund prospectus in the Spring.

We have engaged widely with stakeholders across a range of sectors and from all four nations of the UK. In summer 2021 we held roundtables with stakeholders from the following sectors: Local Business, Environment and Sustainability, Rural, Skills, Employment, Communities & Place and Voluntary & Community.

In England, Scotland and Wales, local government will be given responsibility for developing an investment plan for approval by the UK Government, and for delivery of the Fund thereafter. To inform our plans, we have engaged widely with: local authorities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland including District Councils, County Councils, Unitary Councils, Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority, since local authorities will deliver the funds and submit investment plans for their area (UKG will have oversight of the Fund in Northern Ireland). We have also engaged strategically through the Local Government Association, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, Welsh Local Government Association, Northern Ireland Local Government Association and other Government departments.

In Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland we have also engaged constructively with the devolved governments.

Finally, and drawing on the information set out in the UK Shared Prosperity Pre-Launch Guidance, each lead local authority is encouraged to start identifying a diverse range of local stakeholders, appropriate groups and organisations to represent cross-sector voices.