§ 8. Mr. Alan Reid:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has held with (a) ministerial colleagues and (b) the European Commission on figures published by the Office of National Statistics for the gross domestic product of the Highlands and Islands. [140750]
§ Mrs. McGuire:No such discussions have taken place. But it is worth clarifying once and for all the situation regarding the Office for National Statistics figures and European Structural Funds. There has been no error made by the Office for National Statistics. Eligibility was based on the best information available at the time and the European Commission confirmed in November 2002 that retrospective eligibility for Objective 1 support was not possible.