Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to replace EU funding for rural communities when the UK leaves the EU.

Defra is working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to develop the ways the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will support the rural economy after we leave the EU, taking into account the needs of rural businesses and communities. The Government intends to consult widely on the design of the fund. Decisions on how the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will operate, its priorities and quantum will be determined at the forthcoming spending review.