Peter Wishart: devil in the detail

Scotland and the other devolved administrations will be involved in decisions over a new fund that replaces money previously allocated by Brussels, UK government ministers have confirmed.

The Treasury has previously promised that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will match the £1.5 billion a year that has been provided by the EU prior to the UK leaving the bloc.

It was feared that European Structural Funds allocated locally to spend on various projects such as bridges and roads would be lost, or that Whitehall would deny the devolved administrations a say over how the money is spent.

The Government has now confirmed the governance arrangement in response to the Scottish Affairs Committee’s report on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Scotland.

The Committee raised concern over a lack of consultation on the design of the Fund. The UK Government explained that it has been engaging with stakeholders.