§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many applications for state aid funding have been refused in the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [38054]
§ Ms KeebleWithout doing an exhaustive search of Departmental records, I am aware of only one occasion in the last three years on which the European Commission withheld approval for state aid in the field of the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions or its predecessor the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (excluding environment functions transferred to DEFRA). This was the state aid relating to the Partnership Investment Programme.