Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much has the Shared Prosperity Fund made to employment schemes whose eligibility is restricted by (a) race and (b) to ethnic minorities since July 2024 ; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of grants to schemes which are restricted by ethnicity.

Delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is delegated to lead local authorities who are responsible for managing the funding, including assessing and approving project applications, processing payments and setting eligibility criteria. It empowers local leaders and communities to support local priorities and needs, including employability schemes.

Data on the breakdown of this spend is available for 2025-26. UKSPF provided over £141 million to 438 projects to improve employability, of which 6 projects totalling £1.34 million referenced ethnic minorities as a specific target cohort.