It is a pleasure to serve under the chairmanship today, addressing the debate on EU funding for Northern Ireland. The Minister thanked Claire Hanna for securing this important debate and acknowledged her commitment to organisations in Belfast South that have previously benefited from or relied heavily on EU funding. She outlined the UK shared prosperity fund (UKSPF), which will match the funding allocated to Northern Ireland through EU structural funds, providing £126.8 million of new funding up to March 2025, and reaching £74 million in 2024-25. The Minister mentioned that a comprehensive programme of workshops and engagement was run with Northern Ireland partners last year to tailor the funding appropriately. An investment plan was published before Christmas setting out how Northern Ireland's allocation will be spent, supporting key needs such as addressing economic inactivity and promoting entrepreneurship. She highlighted the first competition for £42 million aimed at helping economically inactive people into work and expressed hope that other Northern Ireland Executive Departments would participate fully in the design and delivery of the fund. The Minister also addressed concerns about transitioning from EU programmes, stating that funding has been reprofiled to better reflect funding needs. She referred to various other funds supporting growth, regeneration, and investment in Northern Ireland, including city and growth deals covering every part of Northern Ireland with £617 million invested. The Minister confirmed a commitment to round 3 of the levelling-up fund but noted that decisions are yet to be made on its details.