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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the European Regional Fund Operational Programme for 2014-20 has been agreed with the European Commission; and when he expects funding from that programme to be released to local enterprise partnerships.

My Department is on track to reach in-principle agreement with the European Commission on the 2014-2020 European Regional Development Fund Operational Programme in February to enable a launch call for projects to take place in March. Local Enterprise Partnerships and partners are advising my Department on this launch. Partners will continue to play an active role locally in advising my Department on the applications and funding decisions that will follow. The Department for Communities and Local Government will be in a position to sign funding agreements for successful applications as soon as the European Regional Development Fund Operational Programme is formally adopted by the European Commission, which we expect to happen by June.

I attach to this answer a letter sent last week by my noble Friend, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, to Local Enterprise Partnerships and local partners on this issue.