§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Employment what regions and projects in the United Kingdom will be excluded as a result of the revision in the terms of the European Economic Community social fund; what is the expected loss in the United Kingdom share of the fund following the revision; if he will place a copy of the revised terms in the Library; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe European Commission recently published its fund management guidelines indicating which types of project and which regions will be given priority for support from the European social fund in 1986. Ihave placed a copy in the Library. The main changes in priority projects are that all training schemes must include an element of new technology training, and that priority will no longer be given, except in Northern Ireland and other absolute priority regions, to temporary job creation schemes or to wage subsidy schemes for people over 25.
The main changes to priority regions in the United Kingdom are that the Western Isles, Powys, Warwickshire, parts of Devon, north Yorkshire, most of Cumbria, Grampian and the Borders have lost their previous priority status, while Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and the Isle of Wight have gained priority status. Non-priority areas continue to qualify for support under some parts of the fund.
Most member states will be experiencing a greater reduction in areas with priority status than the United Kingdom. We are continuing to pursue with the Commission a number of anomalies in their selection of priority areas. It is too soon to say how these changes will affect United Kingdom allocations from the fund.