WHITEHALL

Porter condemns EU funding promise

Whitehall’s promise to honour EU funding commitments post-Brexit ‘falls well short,’ council leaders have said.

Whitehall's promise to honour EU funding commitments post-Brexit ‘falls well short,' council leaders have said.

Chancellor Philip Hammond has announced the Treasury would cover all structural and investment fund projects paid for by the EU on the condition the agreements were reached before the Autumn Statement.

However, the Local Government Association (LGA) said the Government's promise ‘falls well short of the full guarantee we are urging the Government to make.'

Lord Porter, chairman of the LGA, warned the Government's commitment did not go far enough.

He said: ‘Local areas need certainty around the future of all of the £5.3bn in EU regeneration funding promised to them by 2020.

‘The continued uncertainty risks damaging local regeneration plans and stalling flagship infrastructure projects, employment and skills schemes and local growth.'

The majority of EU funding agreements are tied up in proposals which are yet to receive government approval, Lord Porter said.

Lord Porter urged Whitehall to approve these and ensure local areas ‘receive every penny of EU funding they are expecting by the end of the decade'.

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