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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund on the total amount of funding awarded by local authority area for partnerships between universities for research purposes, compared with funding received under the previous EU schemes to which universities were entitled to apply; and what steps they intend to take to address any disparities identified by that assessment.

The UKSPF is not a direct replacement for EU structural funds. It improves on these funds by giving local areas a greater say in investments. DLUHC recognises the important role of universities and has made them an integral part of local partnership groups in the development of investment plans and ongoing delivery. Universities are still entitled to apply for UKSPF funding in their local areas.