Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the BN(O) visa scheme, which Minister is leading on the integration of British Nationals (Overseas) into local communities.
Answered by Luke Hall
The UK has a strong historic relationship with the people of Hong Kong. This Government is proudly honouring its promise to uphold the freedoms of BN(O) status holders, allowing them to build a new life for them and their family here.
Departments across Government are working together closely to ensure that all necessary support and guidance is provided for all BN(O) status holders who take advantage of our generous offer and come and live, work and study in the UK. Further details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
When he plans to publish details of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Answered by Luke Hall
We will set out further details on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund following the Spending Review.
In the meantime, we will continue to work closely with interested parties whilst developing the fund.
We are working to ensure that there is a seamless transition from current EU structural funds to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, as EU Structural Fund investment phases out over the coming years.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when his Department plans to open applications to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Answered by Luke Hall
Now we have left?the European Union, we will create the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the domestic?successor to EU structural funds.?Through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Government can cut out bureaucracy and create a fund which invests in UK priorities and is easier for local areas to access.?The Government?recognises the importance of this funding for?communities across the United Kingdom and we want to ensure there is a smooth transition as we replace EU structural funds with their domestic successor.?Final decisions on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be taken?after?the upcoming Spending Review.?Further details on the fund will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the annual value of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be.
Answered by Luke Hall
The 2019 Conservative Manifesto committed to creating a UK Shared Prosperity Fund that tackles inequality and deprivation in each of our four nations, whilst at a minimum matching the size of European structural funds in each nation. The Government has been working closely with interested parties across the UK whilst developing the fund. Final decisions on the quantum of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be made at the cross-government Spending Review.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which bodies he plans to use to distribute funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Answered by Luke Hall
The 2019 Conservative manifesto commits to creating the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, a programme of investment to bind together the whole of the United Kingdom, tackling inequality and deprivation in each of our four nations. Government officials have held engagement events with external stakeholders from a variety of sectors across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We are also working to ensure that there is a seamless transition from current EU structural funding arrangements to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, as EU Structural Fund investment tails off over the coming years. Final decisions about the delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be taken after a cross-government Spending Review.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether it remains the Government's policy to undertake a public consultation on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Answered by Simon Clarke
The Government has committed to create the UK Shared Prosperity Fund as the successor to EU structural funds. The fund will bind together the whole of the United Kingdom, tackling inequality and deprivation in each of our four nations.
The Government recognises the importance of reassuring local areas on the future of local growth funding and of providing clarity on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Government officials have been working closely with interested parties and will continue to do so as we develop the fund. Officials have held 26 engagement events in total, including 25 across the UK and one in Gibraltar. These were attended by over five hundred representatives from a breadth of sectors and designed to aid the development of the fund.
We will publish a Devolution White Paper setting out our strategy to unleash the potential of our regions, which will include plans for spending and local growth funding.