Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the pilot projects funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will begin; what criteria will be used to select these pilots; and which (1) priority groups, and (2) geographic areas, the Fund will target.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will help to level up and create opportunity across the UK?for people and?places

Funding for the UKSPF will ramp up so that total domestic UK-wide funding will?at least match receipts from EU structural funds, on average reaching around £1.5 billion per?year.?Its funding profile will be set out at the next Spending Review

To help local areas prepare over 2021-22 for the introduction of the UKSPF, the Government will provide?£220 million?additional funding to support our communities to pilot programmes and new approaches. This funding will be delivered UK-wide. Further details will be published in the New Year.