To ask the Minister of Finance for his assessment of the extent to which gaps in EU funding since Brexit are being met by Westminster.

The gaps are not being met.

Replacement funding announced to date has been inadequate. While we would have expected £70m per year from EU Structural Funds the only replacement for EU Structural funds expected to be operational in this financial year is the Community Renewal Fund which will provide only £12.36m.

What meagre funding has been provided has been allocated through Whitehall departments, bypassing this Assembly and taking no account of our own local and regional plans and strategies.

While I’m sure the applicants that have secured a share of that £12.36m are all worthy projects their impact will potentially be diminished due to their being detached from the wider strategic context.

I made an allocation in the last Financial Year of £42.5m to the Department for the Economy to enable them to extend their European Social Fund and European Regional Development Fund programmes for an additional year which may help alleviate immediate pressures.

Given the huge pressures on our budget, this will not be possible in future years.