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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will reconsider the decision to remove the third people and skills pillar from years one and two of UK Shared Prosperity Fund funding.

The primary goal of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund is to build pride in place and increase life chances across the UK.

The Fund will focus on communities and place and local business interventions to boost pride in place in 2022-23 and 2023-24, alongside support for people and skills through the Multiply adult numeracy programme.

As well as funding allocated directly to local areas to deliver innovative local numeracy interventions we will also launch a new digital platform to support flexible and blended learning and a programme of evaluation and Randomised Control Trials to improve evidence about what works to improve adult numeracy.

In year three, when the Fund has ramped up to £1.5 billion per annum, local authorities will be able to choose from a full range of people and skills investments to meet local needs and opportunities.