Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 6
Third Report - The UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Scotland
Published 9 Jul 2021
Paragraph 25
Addressed to Scotland Office
Scottish Affairs Committee Scotland and the Shared Prosperity Fund All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
A lack of transparency in the selection process for the UKSPF could damage trust in the fund and those delivering it. The UK Government should ensure that its methodology and criteria for allocating UKSPF funds are clear and transparent.
From: Scottish Affairs Committee, Third Report - The UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Scotland (HC 52), paragraph 25, 9 July 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 27 October 2021 (deadline 9 September 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government responds to each recommendation in turn, setting out engagement already under way and committing to publish further details on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund "later this year", with its funding profile to be confirmed at the next Spending Review.
- On consultation, it points to engagement with stakeholders since 2016 and says it will "continue to engage stakeholders on specific elements" of the fund; it does not commit to a formal public consultation by autumn 2021.
- On working with the Scottish Government, it says it "intends to work with the Devolved Administrations" and confirms they "will have a place within the governance structures" for the fund.
- On rural funding, it says it "will consider at Spending Review 2021 whether to replace LEADER and EAFRD" through the fund or other farm support programmes.
- On capacity funding, it states that it has "set aside up to £14m capacity funding" to help local places prepare, with details on eligibility and funding to be released "later this year".