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Written Question
Job Creation and Skilled Workers: South Holland and the Deepings
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what fiscal steps she is taking to support (a) training programmes, (b) apprenticeships and (c) other efforts to promote (i) job creation and (ii) skills development in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

Answered by Robert Halfon

Funding allocations are not available broken down to the level of individual constituencies.

The government is committed to creating a world-leading skills system that is employer-focused, high quality and fit for the future. The department’s reforms are strengthening higher and further education to help more people get good jobs and upskill and retrain throughout their lives; and to improve national productivity and economic growth. The department’s reforms are backed with an additional investment of £3.8 billion over the course of this parliament to strengthen higher and further education.

In the 2023/24 academic year, the department is investing nearly £7 billion for education and training places for 16 to 19 year olds, and up to 25 for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This funding is allocated to education providers to deliver study programmes and T Levels to young people.

The department is continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB), which totalled £1.34 billion in the 2023/24 Funding Year. The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to Level 3, to support adults to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. This includes funding going to Boston College, which includes the Spalding Campus in the South Holland and the Deepings Constituency.

The Free Courses for Jobs offer gives eligible adults the chance to access high value Level 3 qualification for free, which can support them to gain higher wages or a better job. Around 400 qualifications are available on the offer, chosen specifically as they offer good wage outcomes and address skills needs in the economy. There have been over 61,000 enrolments since April 2021.

Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks in priority skills areas, with a guaranteed interview upon completion. The department is expanding Skills Bootcamps through increased national procurement and grant funding to 30 Mayoral Combined Authorities and local areas to meet national and local skills needs in the 2024/25 financial year. The department granted Great Lincolnshire LEP, in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council, £2 million for Skills Bootcamps across Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland in 2023, and a further £3 million for courses starting after April 2024.

The department is increasing investment in the apprenticeships system in England to over £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year to support more high quality apprenticeship opportunities across the country, including in South Holland and the Deepings. There have been over 11,000 apprenticeship starts in South Holland and the Deepings since 2010.

The department has introduced employer-designed T levels, which are equipping thousands of young people with the skills, knowledge, and experience to access employment or further study in some of the most in-demand skills areas. 18 T Levels are now available, being delivered through over 250 providers across all regions of the country. University Academy Holbeach in South Holland and the Deepings currently offers seven T Levels and is planning to offer three more from September 2024.

Multiply is the government’s programme for improving adult numeracy. Multiply is funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is the government’s flagship fund for supporting people and places across the UK. Up to £270 million is directly available for local areas in England to deliver innovative interventions to improve adult numeracy. Lincolnshire County Council has been allocated £4.02 million of Multiply funding from the 2022/23 to 2024/25 financial years to improve adult numeracy in their area.


Written Question
Regional Planning and Development: Northern Ireland
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of their levelling-up measures in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The UK Government is committed to levelling up across the whole of the United Kingdom to ensure that no community is left behind. We are investing £456 million in Northern Ireland to help grow the economy, create jobs, improve transport, provide skills training and support local businesses.

This includes £150 million to develop an Enhanced Investment Zone to provide targeted incentives and interventions to encourage investment and boost growth in Northern Ireland. As well as:

10 years of endowment-style funding for Coleraine & Derry/Londonderry through the Long Term Plan for Towns

£120 million from rounds 1 and 2 of the Levelling Up Fund, investing in infrastructure that improves everyday life for local residents.

£127 million set aside through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, of which £76 million has so far been allocated to 30 projects in Northern Ireland.

The UK Government is providing the Northern Ireland Executive with a significant £3.3 billion spending settlement to stabilise its finances and protect public services. Within this a number of DLUHC funds are being made available to the Northern Ireland Executive.

The full list of the UK Government funds which are being made available to the Northern Ireland Executive was released publicly on Friday 8 March on gov.uk.

The published document confirms that £30 million from the third round of the Levelling Up Fund and £22.6 million from the Northern Ireland allocation for UKSPF have been included in the financial package to increase the spending power of the restored Executive.

We are committed to evaluating the impact of all our funding, as set out in the recently published local growth evaluation strategy.


Written Question
UK Shared Prosperity Fund
Tuesday 19th March 2024

Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to replace the Shared Prosperity Fund when that fund comes to an end in March 2025.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

I have received no formal representations from recipients of UK Shared Prosperity Fund monies in Northern Ireland to date. However, I recognise that UKSPF plays a significant role in supporting important provision across Northern Ireland, and in the normal course of business, my officials are regularly engaging with project deliverers and partners on this issue.

As with all Government funding, decisions regarding the future of UKSPF after the end of the current programme in March 2025 are a matter of the next spending review, so we are currently unable to outline specific plans at this stage. We recognise the need for those delivering UKSPF to have certainty as to its future and are committed to setting out further detail in due course.

My officials are regularly engaging with project leads and partners on this issue.


Written Question
UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Northern Ireland
Tuesday 19th March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what representations he has received from recipients of funding from the Shared Prosperity Fund in Northern Ireland on the future of their programmes after March 2025.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

I have received no formal representations from recipients of UK Shared Prosperity Fund monies in Northern Ireland to date. However, I recognise that UKSPF plays a significant role in supporting important provision across Northern Ireland, and in the normal course of business, my officials are regularly engaging with project deliverers and partners on this issue.

As with all Government funding, decisions regarding the future of UKSPF after the end of the current programme in March 2025 are a matter of the next spending review, so we are currently unable to outline specific plans at this stage. We recognise the need for those delivering UKSPF to have certainty as to its future and are committed to setting out further detail in due course.

My officials are regularly engaging with project leads and partners on this issue.


Written Question
UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Northern Ireland
Tuesday 12th March 2024

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much and what proportion of total Shared Prosperity Fund funding has been allocated to projects in Northern Ireland as of 4 March 2024.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

We are investing £15 billion in a suite of complementary Levelling Up projects across the UK to help grow the economy, create jobs, improve transport, provide skills training and support local businesses.

The Levelling Up Fund has invested a total of £4.8 billion into infrastructure that improves everyday life for local residents across the UK. Projects in Northern Ireland received £120 million across rounds one and two of the Levelling Up Fund. In Round three a further £30 million was set aside for Northern Ireland. This means that at least 3% of total Levelling Up Fund allocations have gone to Northern Ireland, in line with our commitments.

The Community Renewal Fund provided £186 million of funding, supporting outputs for 23,000 organisations. Northern Ireland benefitted from just over £12 million of investment, meaning it enjoyed a proportion of 6.45% of the total funding allocated.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Northern Ireland has a total budget of £126 million which represents 4.8% of the total UKSPF budget of £2.6 billion. As of 4 March 2024, £76 million of UKSPF funding has been allocated to 30 projects in Northern Ireland with further investments to follow. We continue to be committed to levelling up all parts of the UK, including Northern Ireland.


Written Question
UK Community Renewal Fund: Northern Ireland
Tuesday 12th March 2024

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what proportion of total UK Community Renewal Fund funding was allocated to Northern Ireland.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

We are investing £15 billion in a suite of complementary Levelling Up projects across the UK to help grow the economy, create jobs, improve transport, provide skills training and support local businesses.

The Levelling Up Fund has invested a total of £4.8 billion into infrastructure that improves everyday life for local residents across the UK. Projects in Northern Ireland received £120 million across rounds one and two of the Levelling Up Fund. In Round three a further £30 million was set aside for Northern Ireland. This means that at least 3% of total Levelling Up Fund allocations have gone to Northern Ireland, in line with our commitments.

The Community Renewal Fund provided £186 million of funding, supporting outputs for 23,000 organisations. Northern Ireland benefitted from just over £12 million of investment, meaning it enjoyed a proportion of 6.45% of the total funding allocated.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Northern Ireland has a total budget of £126 million which represents 4.8% of the total UKSPF budget of £2.6 billion. As of 4 March 2024, £76 million of UKSPF funding has been allocated to 30 projects in Northern Ireland with further investments to follow. We continue to be committed to levelling up all parts of the UK, including Northern Ireland.


Written Question
Business: Ashford
Tuesday 12th March 2024

Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to support high street businesses in Ashford constituency.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Government is fully committed to supporting our high-street businesses and communities. The department has announced over £15 million in targeted funding in Ashford constituency since 2021, including:

  • £14.7 million from the Levelling Up Fund, for the Newtown Works development, which will transform the former railway works into a mixed-use site incorporating a creative hub, a hotel, restaurant, retail, commercial and residential space;
  • £1 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to support Ashford Borough Council’s Town Centre Reset strategy, which awards grants to local businesses and runs until April 2024; and
  • £0.5 million from the UK Community Ownership Fund to enable The Honest Miller Community Group and The George Community to restore and reopen two long-closed village pubs.

Written Question
Levelling Up Fund: Northern Ireland
Tuesday 12th March 2024

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much and what proportion of total Levelling Up Fund funding has been allocated to Northern Ireland as of 4 March 2024.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

We are investing £15 billion in a suite of complementary Levelling Up projects across the UK to help grow the economy, create jobs, improve transport, provide skills training and support local businesses.

The Levelling Up Fund has invested a total of £4.8 billion into infrastructure that improves everyday life for local residents across the UK. Projects in Northern Ireland received £120 million across rounds one and two of the Levelling Up Fund. In Round three a further £30 million was set aside for Northern Ireland. This means that at least 3% of total Levelling Up Fund allocations have gone to Northern Ireland, in line with our commitments.

The Community Renewal Fund provided £186 million of funding, supporting outputs for 23,000 organisations. Northern Ireland benefitted from just over £12 million of investment, meaning it enjoyed a proportion of 6.45% of the total funding allocated.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Northern Ireland has a total budget of £126 million which represents 4.8% of the total UKSPF budget of £2.6 billion. As of 4 March 2024, £76 million of UKSPF funding has been allocated to 30 projects in Northern Ireland with further investments to follow. We continue to be committed to levelling up all parts of the UK, including Northern Ireland.


Written Question
Regional Planning and Development: Angus
Monday 11th March 2024

Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding Angus constituency has received from (a) all funding schemes put in place to replace EU structural funding, (b) the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, (c) the Levelling-Up Fund and (d) the Long-Term Plan for Towns in each year since 2016.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

There is no single fund that directly replaces EU structural funding. Levelling up funding comprises various measures that include, for example, the Levelling Up Fund, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Long Term Plan for Towns, the Community Renewal Fund, the Community Ownership Fund, and pre-existing programmes such as the City Region and Growth Deals. These come alongside the largest block grant ever for the devolved administration in Scotland which the Chancellor recently confirmed, and other measures such as the Green Freeports and Investment Zones Programme which cover four areas across Scotland.

In general, details of funding support are held at local authority rather than constituency level. The UK remained a member of the European Union until January 2020.

Since then, Angus Council has been awarded nearly £5 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, as well as £26.5 million from the Tay Cities Deal. It has also received nearly £300k from the Community Ownership Fund awarded to a project in Brechin for Davidson Legacy Cottage SCIO, and over £230k awarded via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme including to replace the 3G pitch at Forfar Community Football Trust, for floodlights at Station Park and Market Muir, and for solar panels at Arbroath Football Club. At Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced that Arbroath in Angus will be a Long-Term Plan for Towns location and will receive £20 million of funding.


Written Question
Retail Trade: South Holland and the Deepings
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to support high street businesses in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

This Government is fully committed to supporting our high-street businesses and communities. The Department of Levelling up, Housing and Communities has announced over £62.6 million in targeted funding to South Holland and the Deepings since 2021, including:

  • £20 million from the Long-Term Plan for Towns, with Spalding being one of 55 towns in need of extra levelling up support. This money will help people in Spalding to create a bespoke regeneration plan that best fits their needs;
  • £2.6 million through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to support South Holland District Council to invest in their communities and place, support local businesses, and boost people’s life chances and skills;
  • £20 million from the Levelling Up Fund for South Holland District Council’s Castle Sports Complex project which will see a new health and wellbeing centre, and;
  • £20 million from the Levelling Up Fund for Lincolnshire County Council’s A16 Corridor Improvements’ project which should reduce congestion between Boston and Spalding.