§ Rev. Ian Paisleyasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the full amount to date which has been allocated from the EEC Regional Fund to Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. ConcannonUp to 30th November 1978 a total of £31,343,279 from the European Regional Development Fund has been committed for industrial and infrastructure projects in Northern Ireland.
§ Rev. Ian Paisleyasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what projects in Northern Ireland have been funded out of the EEC Regional Fund in addition to projects already planned before the EEC grant was given.
§ Mr. ConcannonThe European Regional Development Fund regulation requires that: each project should be part of a regional development programme, industrial projects should be subject to a commitment that they will receive State regional aid, and infrastructure projects should be financed wholly or in part by a public authority. Therefore, projects cannot be submitted unless they have been carefully planned and costed; hence, no Northern Ireland projects can be funded from the ERDF in addition to those already planned. However, receipts from the fund enable the Government to sustain a larger regional development programme than would otherwise have been the case.