Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2015 to Question 224799, whether his Department reached in-principle agreement with the European Commission on the 2014 to 2020 European Social Fund Operational Programme in February 2014; and on what date he expects the European Social Fund Operational Programme for 2014 to 2020 to be formally adopted by the European Commission.

The only issues which we are still discussing with the European Commission relate to the level of some of the targets, and we expect to have agreement on those shortly. The timing of formal adoption will depend on the Commission’s internal processes. We expect it in May or June.

Since the remaining issues are few in number, we plan to launch the 2014 to 2020 ESF programme before the end of March.