Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Scottish Government on the potential impact of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund on regional inequality in Scotland.

The Scotland Office is in regular contact with colleagues across UK Government and Scottish Government on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK’s ambitious Levelling Up mission. It puts £212 million of new funding for local investment directly into the hands of local partners, who have far greater flexibility to invest in priority areas and to target funds where needed.

Allocations for each Local Authority in Scotland were made using a needs-based assessment, including a specifically tailored proportion for rural areas in Scotland.

Local leaders are empowered to design their own investment plans in line with the levelling up missions. We are determined to boost productivity, pay, jobs and living standards across the whole of the UK.