Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Northern Ireland

Monday 20 January 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Robin Swann questioned the Minister about the challenges faced by the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland due to reduced shared prosperity funding and increased employer national insurance contributions.
  • The Minister acknowledged the difficulties but noted that the previous government had not allocated any money for the shared prosperity fund.
  • Perran Moon inquired about Cornwall's allocation from the shared prosperity fund and the need for a memorandum of understanding before councils can make agreements with providers.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Robin Swann Ulster Unionist Party South Antrim
Economy Northern Ireland Local Government
Context

The voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland has expressed concerns about the reduction in shared prosperity funding coupled with an increase in employer national insurance contributions, leading to significant challenges for local organizations.

Question

The voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland has said that the reduction in shared prosperity funding available in the next financial year, coupled with the increase in employer national insurance contributions, presents a perfect storm at a time when even more is being asked of it. Will the Minister agree to meet me, members of the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action and representatives of the voluntary and community sector to discuss those issues?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Alex Norris)

We inherited a situation in which the previous Government had not made any money available for that work. I have no doubt that the transition year creates significant challenges for local organisations. I have visited South Antrim before and met representatives of some organisations, and I would be delighted to do so again.

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Q2 Perran Moon Lab Camborne and Redruth
Economy Local Government
Context

Cornwall is awaiting the memorandum of understanding for shared prosperity grants, which are needed to ensure certainty for ongoing schemes as contracts expire.

Question

Cornwall’s allocation from the shared prosperity fund is good news and well needed. The Government are reworking the outcomes for the shared prosperity grants, and councils such as Cornwall are awaiting the memorandum of understanding for the grant before they can make agreements with providers. Ongoing schemes need certainty, as employees with three-month notice periods are relying on the contracts, and the old SPF scheme expires on 31 March. Will the Secretary of State confirm that local authorities will have the confidence to commit spending?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Alex Norris)

I know that local authorities from Northern Ireland to Cornwall are interested to know their allocations, information about which was made available to them in recent weeks, and that some have concerns about making spending commitments. The money is there and has been committed, but my officials are working—they have had conversations directly about Cornwall—to ensure that local authorities have the confidence to make those commitments, so that we do not see 90-day redundancy notices.

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