Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the National Centre for Social Research's Opportunity areas place-based evaluation will be completed; and if his Department will publish the findings of that evaluation.

The National Centre for Social Research's national qualitative process evaluation was commissioned by the department in October 2020 to cover the first 4 years of the Opportunity Areas programme, up to August 2021. The procurement of this evaluation was delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This evaluation is exploring the delivery and progress made through this place-based approach. It will ensure that benefits, challenges and learnings are documented. A report of the findings is due to be published in spring 2022.