§ Mr. Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much in(a) European regional development funds, (b) European Social Fund, (c) European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund and (d) other relevant European structural funds has been (i) committed to and (ii) received by projects in each of the EU objective I regions. [152014]
§ Mr. CabornThe figures in the table show the latest commitments and r payments made under each of the EU structural funds for the three objective 1 areas of 137W England. Payments under these programmes lag behind commitments because the fund regulations require ERDF expenditure to be defrayed before it is claimed. ESF projects may receive an advance payment at the beginning of the project but subsequent ESF payments take place after expenditure has been defrayed.
Objective 1 programmes in England £000 Programme ERDF ESF EAGGF FIFG Total Commitments to projects Cornwall and the Scilly Isles 9,000 16,900 400 0 26,300 Merseyside 15,581 32,062 0 0 47,643 South Yorkshire 16,000 8,000 0 0 24,000 Total 40,581 56,962 400 0 97,943 Payments to projects Cornwall and the Scilly Isles 0 800 0 0 800 Merseyside 711 7,028 0 0 7,739 South Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 Total 711 7,928 0 0 8,539 Note:
Responsibility for the implementation of the West Wales and the Valleys objective 1 programme rests with the National Assembly for Wales.
§ Mr. Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much regional selective assistance is available for objective 1 projects in Cornwall for(a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02. [152011]
§ Mr. CabornIn principle, the whole of the RSA spend in Cornwall is available for match funding of objective 1 projects. Because spend on the scheme is demand led, the Department has recommended that the local partners plan on the basis of the average spend over the previous three years.
§ Mr. Andrew GeorgeTo ask the secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what recent assessment he has made of the number of public match funds available to applicants for EU objective 1 funds; and if he will list those funds allocated by(a) Government Departments and (b) other sources; [152012]
(2) if he will indicate the level of funds available for this and each of the next two financial years in each of the public match funds available to applicants for EU objective 1 funds in the areas of (a) Merseyside, (b) South Yorkshire, (c) Cornwall and (d) West Wales and the Valleys. [152013]
§ Mr. CabornIn October 2000 the Government published a revised list of potential central Government sources of match funding in England. It is available at www.dti.gov.uk/europe/mf1.htm on the internet. Copies of the document have also been placed in the Libraries of the House.
The Government are unable to quantify the amount of match funding available in particular English regions or objective 1 areas because many sources are national programmes which are not regionally allocated but respond to demand. Moreover, the Government do not have information on match funding provided by local authorities and other non-central Government public bodies.
Administration of the structural funds in Wales is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.