Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reasons Northern Ireland is not included in the top 100 priority places identified for the UK Community Renewal Fund.
The UK Government will run a national competition against a fixed national allocation in Northern Ireland, equating to £11 million of funding. Project applicants in Northern Ireland will submit bids directly to the UK Government for assessment and approval. We are taking a different approach to delivering the UK Community Renewal Fund in Northern Ireland, to take account of the different local government landscape in Northern Ireland compared to Great Britain. Treating Northern Ireland as one eligible geographical area will also ensure that all communities across Northern Ireland have equal access in being able to apply for these funds.