HC Deb 27 November 1990 vol 181 cc384-6W
Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he will be in a position to pay money to voluntary organisations for the European social fund programme starting in January.

Mr. Forth

Time scales and procedures for the 1991 European social fund programmes will be set in consultation with the various committees established under the new ESF arrangements. These consultations have begun. Payments will be made to organisations once their applications have been approved, and the money has been received from the European Commission.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the impact of the delays in the administration of European social funding for voluntary sector applications.

Mr. Forth

I appreciate that many voluntary organisations may be experiencing financial difficulties as a result of delays in implementing the reformed European social fund this year. A major cause of this delay was that the operational programmes submitted to the Commission, in line with the new regulations, were not approved by the Commission until August 1990. All organisations involved however are advised that claiming support from the European social fund is an uncertain and lengthy process. My Department is doing all it can to expedite this process, and some voluntary organisations have already received payments for their 1990 projects.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the United Kingdom's tranche of European social fund money was given to his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Forth

My Department received most of the first advance money for the 1990 programmes supported by the European social fund in October 1990. This money is being paid out to organisations once they have submitted correct applications to my Department. A very real effort has been made to expedite the processing of applications this year. Department of Employment officials have been working overtime in the evenings and at weekends, and extra staff have been recruited to help out.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list(a) the total numbers of applications received and (b) the number of training places for European social fund support in 1990 for each of the standard regions, England and Wales.

Mr. Forth

The total number of applications for ESF support received in England is 1,954 and in Wales is 223.

The total number of training places envisaged in those applications is 264,445 for England and 18,207 for Wales.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when application forms for European social fund support in 1991 will be available for voluntary sector organisations; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Forth

Time scales and procedures for the 1991 European social fund programmes will be set in consultation with the various committees established under the new ESF arrangements. These consultations have begun.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether money from the European social fund will be paid to voluntary organisations in 1990 for projects submitted in the current year.

Mr. Forth

Some voluntary organisations have already received payments for their 1990 projects, and it is expected that payments to the rest which have submitted correct applications for projects running in 1990 will be made during December and January.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the total number of(a) training places, (b) projects and (c) voluntary organisations currently under consideration in applications for assistance by grant aid from the European social fund for 1990.

Mr. Forth

Approximately 2,500 project applications, involving 318,755 training places, are currently under consideration for European social fund assistance for 1990. Of these 2,500 applications, some 500 were from voluntary organisations.

Mr. McLeish

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representation he has received from voluntary sector orgnisations about the delay in the payment of European social fund money; and what consultations have taken place with interested organisations.

Mr. Forth

A number of representations have been made to my Department by voluntary sector organisations about the delays in 1990, which is the first year of the new European social fund.

Consultation with interested organisations has taken place at every stage in the process of implementing the new regulations. Since July there have been several meetings with representatives of the voluntary sector and other organisations concerned to discuss the 1990 procedures for obtaining support under the fund.