§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of European Community structural funds devoted to correcting regional imbalance was devoted to projects within the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Douglas Hogg[holding answer 23 July 1990.]: The United Kingdom's share of the European regional development fund over the last five years is shown in column C:
ERDF commitments £ million (A) Total EC (B) Total United Kingdom (C) United Kingdom share Per cent. 1985 1,469 358 24.4 1986 2,227 368 16.5 1987 2,581 449 17.4 1988 2,543 387 15.2 1989 3,020 343 11.4
§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) to what extent Government policy is compatible with that of the Community in regard to the expansion and use of structural funds within the Unite Kingdom; and what plans he has to achieve full compatibility after 1992;
(2) what action he is taking to ensure that the United Kingdom secures a fair and justifiable share of European structural funds up to and beyond 1992.
§ Mr. Douglas Hogg[holding answer 23 July 1990]: Government policy is already compatible with that of the Community with regard to the structural funds, which involve a partnership between national Governments, the Commission and others. The Community support frameworks, which detail the amounts of funding, are agreed between the Government and the Commission.
The Government will continue to make every effort in their contacts with the Commission to ensure that the United Kingdom obtains its fair share of the structural funds up to and beyond 1992.
§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the number of projects and the value of the financial support from European structural funds devoted to each region of the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and what is the number which he expects to be supported in each region in 1990–91 and 1991–92.
§ Mr. Douglas Hogg[holding answer 23 July 1990]: The number of projects receiving structural fund assistance and the value of European social fund and EAGGF guidance fund commitments by region are not readily available. A regional breakdown of European regional development fund commitments over the last five years is in the table.
154W
ERDF Commitments £ million 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 North 27 41 63 71 58 Yorkshire and Humberside 24 47 32 25 30 East Midlands 18 2 3 3 0 East Anglia 0 0 0 0 0
1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 South East 0 0 0 0 0 South West 10 22 28 16 5 West Midlands 46 40 67 25 20 North West 77 55 40 41 80 Wales 58 47 56 64 63 Scotland 71 57 117 97 21 Northern Ireland 26 43 41 44 66 Multi-regional 0 13 3 1 0 Total United Kingdom 358 368 449 387 343
§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding has been received from European Community structural funds in the Yorkshire and Humberside steel area programme in each year since 1988; and what funding is expected in 1990–91 and 1991–92 in this area.
§ Mr. Douglas Hogg[holding answer 23 July 1990]: Commitments from the European regional development fund and the European social fund to the Yorkshire and Humberside steel area programme were £7.1 million in the calendar year 1988 and £20.8 million in 1989. Commitments for 1990, 1991 and 1992 are expected to be £28.9 million, £37.3 million and £31.4 million respectively. Commitments by financial year are not readily available.
§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the sum available from the structural funds of the European Community between 1987 and 1990; and what proportion of that sum was devoted to South Yorkshire.
§ Mr. Douglas Hogg[holding answer 23 July 1990]: In the period 1987 to 1990 commitments from the European regional development fund, European social fund, and the EAGGF guidance fund for the whole of the European Community are estimated at £12 billion, £9.6 billion and £3.6 billion respectively, giving a total of £25.2 billion for all three structural funds. Figures for ESF and EAGGF guidance commitments for South Yorkshire are not readily available. ERDF commitments for South Yorkshire in the period 1987 to 1990 are estimated at £59–1 million, some 0.5 per cent. of total EC and ERDF commitments.