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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to provide bridging funding to replace European Regional Development Funding in the 2022-23 financial year; if he will place a copy of his response to the letter of 27 February 2023 on this issue from the University Alliance in the House of Commons Library; and if he will make a statement.

As previously set out, the UK continues to participate in the EU programmes funded through the current 2014-20 Multiannual Financial Framework (MMF) which includes ERDF. The Withdrawal Agreement ensures that ERDF funding is available until the end of 2023. Total domestic funding will at least match receipts from EU structural funds. We will respond to the letter in due course.