§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the EU Regional Development Fund goes towards the city of Coventry; and what is the annual amount. [1182]
§ Alan JohnsonUp to £68 million (based on current exchange rates) has been awarded to projects in the Coventry and Warwickshire area from the Structural Fund Programmes operating during the period 1997–99. These programmes are now closed.
This resource has had a direct impact on Coventry in two ways: first, offers of grant have been made to support projects operating in Coventry itself; and secondly, grant has been awarded to reclaim sites and support projects in areas adjacent to the Coventry border thus generating a major beneficial economic effect on the citizens of Coventry.
The 2000–06 Objective 2 and 3 programmes are still in their infancy but to date £12 million grant has been awarded to Coventry from the Objective 3 ESF programme. The West Midlands Objective 3 Regional budget for 2000 and 2001 is £80 million, at current exchange rates, and commitments so far total £45 million across the region. So far no offers have yet been made anywhere in the region under the Objective 2 programme, launched by Ministers in April this year. However, a number of proposals are under consideration from the Coventry Partnership, and it is expected that Coventry will be major beneficiaries of this programme.