§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proposals he has to reinstate levels of Government grant in aid to the Welsh Development Agency to remove conditionality on receipts from the European regional development fund for 1996–97. [37203]
§ Mr. HagueNone. As I confirmed to Commissioner Wulf-Mathies on 4 October, European funding is not a factor in determining the level of grant in aid to the WDA.
§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the European Union Commissioner responsible for the European regional development fund; concerning the suspension of ERDF funds to the Welsh Development Agency; and when he expects to reach agreement on the balance between ERDF grant and United Kingdom Government grant-in-aid to the Welsh Development Agency. [37207]
§ Mr. HagueI met Commissioner Wulf-Mathies on 4 October. I confirmed that European funding was not a factor in determining the level of the Welsh Development Agency's grant in aid. We agreed that officials should consider ways of improving the transparency of these arrangements. I also volunteered to provide an account of my Department's general procedures for the management and monitoring of European programmes. We agreed to complete this work within two weeks to enable early clearance of outstanding applications.
§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to compensate the Welsh Development Agency for loss of receipts from the European regional development fund, following a suspension of ERDF payments to the Welsh Development Agency; and if he will make a statement. [37202]
§ Mr. HagueNone. I expect early agreement with the European Commission to allow clearance of outstanding applications.