§ Mr. McGradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effects of the withdrawal of funding from the Special European Union Programmes Body on playgroups in the South Down area; and whether he is taking steps to restore this funding. [177502]
§ Angela SmithNo funding from the SEUPB to playgroups in the South Down area has been withdrawn. SEUPB assists playgroups primarily through NIPPA under Measure 2.5 of the PEACE II Programme. All projects assisted under this measure will be able to benefit fully from their allocations although some projects are now coming to an end. We are currently assessing the impact of this on early years provision across Northern Ireland and how this can be addressed.