Extract from Scottish Parliament: Questions to the Minister for Constitution, Europe and External Affairs - Jan 27

To ask the Scottish Government what impact European structural funds have had on the Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn constituency in the last 15 years. (S5O-04949)

European structural funding has had a significant positive social and economic impact nationally and locally within Bob Doris’s constituency. Approximately £11 million has been invested through the current 2014-2020 European funding programme to support individuals into meaningful employment and to support businesses across Glasgow. An additional £2 million has also been invested from the programme to support the installation of new, affordable low-carbon heating systems in social housing developments in Glasgow.

I know well the benefit that European structural funds have had not just in my constituency but across Scotland, with an estimated €944 million invested in the past seven years.

Does the minister share my concern that the United Kingdom Government’s planned replacements—the so-called shared prosperity and levelling-up funds—might mean less financial support coming to Glasgow and the rest of Scotland as a result of the UK Government’s post-Brexit stance on structural funds, as well as less democratic control and influence, because the UK Government, unlike the European Union, seems intent on bypassing the Scottish Government?

The decision by the UK Government to bypass the Scottish Government in the development and roll-out of the shared prosperity fund demonstrates a complete disregard for devolution. The UK Government has kept us at arm’s length throughout the process. It has provided no clarity on the fund’s objectives and delivery plans and no evidence as to why a clearly devolved matter should no longer be run or administered in Scotland. In respecting the devolution agreement, the Scottish Government is best placed to ensure that replacement funding is allocated to meet the needs of Scotland; ignoring the devolution agreement puts at risk all that we have achieved.