To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail the means by which the European Social Fund will be deferred, to allow for funding to be available for projects in the period from April 2022 to March 2023.

A successful bid in January Monitoring provides my department with domestic funding for existing ESF projects within the current financial year. This effectively enables my department to defer spending EC funds of c£25.9 million until 2022-23 when EC funding would have otherwise run out. The mechanism for extending ESF activity is currently being explored and I hope to make formal announcements in the coming weeks.

This welcome outcome also provides the Department with additional time to develop appropriate succession Programmes and secure the necessary funding for these valuable interventions.