§ Mr. Blakerasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give greater publicity to the availability of assistance from the European Social Fund for projects in this country.
§ Mr. John FraserI see no need for greater publicity at this time, but if the hon. Member has a particular point in mind, and would care to write to me about it, I would be happy to consider it.
§ Mr. Blakerasked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the value of applications so far made from the United Kingdom for assistance from the European Social Fund in respect of the year 1975.
§ Mr. John FraserApproximately £17 million.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list the projects for which his Department has claimed grants from the EEC Social Fund this year; whether he will indicate which of these claims were submitted before 1st March 1974 and which after that date; and how the present level of claims compares with the level of claims submitted before 25th July last year.
§ Mr. John FraserThe United Kingdom has submitted applications for assistance from the European Social Fund in 1974 in respect of the following projects:
Submitted before 1st March 1974:
- Government operated schemes of training for unemployed workers in the assisted areas.
- Other Government expenditure on training in the assisted areas.
- Transfer of workers from and within the assisted areas.
577 - Training and resettlement of workers leaving agriculture.
- Training and resettlement of workers in or leaving the textile industry.
- Training, industrial rehabilitation and resettlement of disabled persons.
- The Community Industry project.
- A scheme for training drivers of heavy goods vehicles.
Submitted after 1st March 1974:
- Schemes organised and financed by the Wool, Jute and Flax Industrial Training Board and the Footwear, Leather and Fur Skin Industrial Training Board.
- Schemes run under the auspices of the Development Commission, i.e. training provided by the Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas (CoSIRA) and the Small Industries Council for Rural Areas in Scotland (SICRAS).
- Certain aspects of medical rehabilitation and the supply of vehicles to disabled work people.
- Schemes for training newly recruited workers on their own premises by a number of firms in Northern Ireland.
- These applications total approximately £45 million and exceed by £14 million the total of the applications in respect of 1973 submitted before 25th July 1973.