Budget 2021: Scotland’s view of UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Purpose of the session

MPs on the Committee will take evidence from academics Professor David Bell and Professor John Bachtler followed by Scotland’s Trade Minister Ivan McKee. The session is likely to focus on:

• where UK and cottish Government priorities for the Fund overlap and where they diverge;
• intergovernmental engagement in the development of the Shared Prosperity Fund;
• UK Government proposals for the Shared Prosperity Fund, including how funding will be allocated and delivered.

Background

At 25 November’s Spending Review, the UK Government vowed to provide a Shared Prosperity Fund that would grow to match current levels of EU Structural Funding. It also promised to make the new fund ‘quick and responsive’ in response to the Welsh Affairs Committee’s inquiry following concerns raised by applicants over the bureaucracy to obtain finance from the EU structural funds.

Earlier that month on 19 November, the Scottish Government published a position paper on the Shared Prosperity Fund outlining its priorities following a public consultation between November 2019 and February 2020, which Professors Bell and Bachtler chaired.

Witnesses

Thursday 4 March

At 11.30am

Panel 1

• Professor David Bell, University of Stirling & Chair, Scottish Government Steering Group on the Replacement of EU Structural Funds;
• Professor John Bachtler, Professor of European Policy Studies, Director of the European Policies Research Centre, University of Strathclyde & Co-Chair, Scottish Government Steering Group on the Replacement of EU Structural Funds

At approx. 12.15pm

Panel 2 

• Ivan McKee MSP, Minister for Trade, Innovation and Public Finance, Scottish Government
• Hilary Pearce, Deputy Director, European Structural Funds and Subsidy Control, Scottish Government

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

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