§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the use of objective 1 funds in Merseyside; what plans he has to increase Government financial assistance towards European funding; and if he will make a statement. [16295]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordAll claims for payment for projects approved under the programme are accompanied by a report from project sponsors outlining their progress towards delivery of required outputs. Claims received to date indicate that most of the targets are likely to be met or exceeded. In accordance with the regulations governing the structural funds, an interim evaluation of the progress made by the programme so far will shortly be undertaken. The results will be available later in the year.
The structural funds contribute only a part of a project's costs. There are many sources of matching funds, from both the public and the private sectors, for the remaining costs and it is the responsibility of the applicant to explore fully the possibilities before making an application. This is not the responsibility of the Government.