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

To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to structure the post-Brexit Shared Prosperity Fund; when it will become operative; what criteria will be used for the allocation of funds; and whether it will permit funds allocated for the devolved authorities to be allocated by them.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will be a domestic programme of investment to boost productivity and reduce economic inequality across the whole of the UK following our departure from the European Union. The fund will be aligned to the pillars of the modern industrial strategy.

We have committed to launching a full public consultation on the design and priorities of the fund this year, as announced in the Industrial Strategy white paper. Decisions on the operation of the UKSPF will be made following the consultation.