QUESTIONS have been asked of the UK Government as to how it plans to plug a Brexit funding gap of at least £4 million in Inverclyde.

Councillor Chris McEleny, leader of the local SNP group, has identified several key local projects he fears will suffer when Britain severs ties with the European Union.

Brexit officially happened at 11pm on Friday, but there is now a transition period until December 31 to allow the UK Government and the EU to negotiate future political and trading relations.

In the meantime, things are expected to remain largely the same, including travel and trade.

Britain will also still contribute to the European budget to ensure continuity for existing schemes that are funded by EU grants.

But Mr McEleny is concerned about Inverclyde organisations, including the council, that receive huge sums from the continent - and how the financial gap will be plugged long-term.

The Gourock elected member highlighted £3.6m worth of funding that could be lost locally, including £1.7m awarded to the local authority to support employability services, £800,000 to help people with 'multiple barriers' find work and £660k for youth employment schemes.

Community groups such as Parklea Branching Out in Port Glasgow also stand to lose £90,000 of financial support.

Cllr McEleny said: "Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU. "Over the years, European Union funding has played, at times, an unsung role in providing crucial assistance to help people into work. "In an area that we know me must prioritise reducing deprivation, this funding is vital in helping to do that.

"As things stand we have no clarity from the UK government on how much funding will be made available to replace the EU funding, and we have no clarity on just what sort of schemes will be put in place to provide continued funding for employability projects.

"The UK Government must provide the clarity areas like Inverclyde need and they must commit to providing the funding we have benefitted from to date, otherwise the price for leaving the EU will become evident very quickly as we see community centres close, employability schemes cancelled and deprivation increase."

Other groups highlighted by Mr McEleny that receive European cash and could face problems are: Branchton Community Centre, which receives just under £180k; Inverclyde Community Care Forum, £56k; £43k for health and wellbeing projects in the Branchton, Bow Farm, Pennyfern, Fancy Farm and Grieve Road areas; £36k to pay for a community development worker in Maukinhill and the Strone; and charity support group CVS Inverclyde, which benefits from £31k of funding.

The Tele contacted the UK Government but there was no response as we went to press.