AQO 2671/17-22

Miss Rachel Woods
Green Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 21/10/2021
Answered On Date: 16/11/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister for an update on the review of the Minority Ethnic Development Fund.

Answer:

Since it was established in 2002, the Minority Ethnic Development Fund has grown in scope, quantum and ambition. It has supported and delivered hundreds of projects and helped thousands of people.

To ensure maximum benefits for our minority ethnic communities, and in line with our commitment in the Racial Equality Strategy, a review of the fund was completed last year.

The resulting report included 10 recommendations and officials are working on implementation.

We are particularly pleased to have launched the 2021/22 Fund earlier than in previous years in line with one of the recommendations. Indeed our Racial Equality Subgroup placed paramount importance on this, recognising the stability early funding commitments gives to the sector, and how it enables earlier planning for, and implementation of, support to minority ethnic communities here.

We are now committed to implementing the remaining recommendations and work has begun on many of these including moving to a three year funding cycle, and how to better implement an outcomes based approach to monitoring and evaluation.

We do not underestimate the importance and relevance of the Fund to the sector and we remain committed to exploring and applying the other longer term recommendations in the months and years ahead.