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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the termination of the European Social Fund on 31 March, when funding will be made available from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to social economy projects throughout the UK.

The economic inactivity competition closed on 27 January 2023, and we received a strong and positive response from organisations across Northern Ireland seeking to deliver economic inactivity and Multiply support. Project assessment has now concluded and we are working with a view to taking final selection decisions as quickly as possible.

We recognise the need for this important funding to be in place promptly as the European Social Fund support draws to a close in Northern Ireland at the end of this month.