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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he has taken to engagement with the disability employment sector in Northern Ireland on the Shared Prosperity Fund.

The Government has been engaging with key stakeholders on the design and priorities of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund since 2016, including holding a series of engagement events across the UK.

Since the publication of the UKSPF Heads of Terms at Spending Review 2020, officials have engaged widely on the UKSPF, across a wide range of sectors and organisations, including the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland.

The UK Government will take a role in convening partners from across Northern Ireland to develop Northern Ireland’s UKSPF Investment Plan. We will refine the plan in consultation with stakeholders in a way that reflects the needs of Northern Ireland’s economy and society. This group could include representatives from Northern Ireland Executive Departments, local authorities, businesses and the community and voluntary sector.