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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his timescale is for the commencement of the People and Skills strand of the Shared Prosperity Fund in Northern Ireland.

The £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will support the UK Government's wider commitment to level up all parts of the UK by delivering on each of the Levelling Up objectives. Northern Ireland's allocation between 2022-23 and 2024-25 is £105 million of core UKSPF funding and £22 million for Multiply, the UK's adult numeracy programme.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will pursue a varied approach to market in Northern Ireland. This could involve delivery at NI-scale, sub-regionally or locally, as well as commissioning or project competitions. The approach will be guided by the UKSPF Investment Plan for Northern Ireland. Further information on commissioning and project competitions will be published in due course.