4. Statement by the Minister for Economy: The Shared Prosperity Fund and Levelling-up Fund

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:32 pm on 28 September 2021.

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Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative 4:32, 28 September 2021

I'll do my best. Diolch. Wales only continued to be eligible for European structural funding because, despite billions in subsequent rounds, it failed to close the prosperity gap it was intended for, unlike other nations that entered the project at the same time, like Poland, which of course did and excluded themselves. You say Flintshire excluded itself from the priority funding list. Do you therefore recognise that the structural funds programme in Wales was focused on west Wales and the Valleys and prioritised 15 counties, but Flintshire and Wrexham were outside those? And how, finally, do you respond to the charities and community-interest organisations in Flintshire that told me this summer that they contacted Welsh Government officials asking if Flintshire could be added to the levelling-up fund list—your officials made enquiries and came back confirming that they could and, of course, they've now been included in the bids?