§ Lord O'HAGANasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will list all British voluntary bodies which have benefited from the EEC Social Fund, with the amounts received.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, SCOTTISH OFFICE (Lord Hughes)None benefits directly. The Government make application to the EEC Social Fund in respect of grants it makes in support of voluntary bodies and money received goes to the Exchequer.
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§ Lord O'HAGANasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they accept that the Social Fund of the EEC exists primarily to encourage new projects.
§ Lord HUGHESThe Fund's Regulations specify that its purposes include furtherance of existing measures as well as encouragement of new initiatives. Her Majesty's Government accept both these aims.
§ Lord O'HAGANasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many new projects have been started with assistance from the Social Fund of the EEC.
§ Lord HUGHESProjects by three industrial training boards and a new scheme of training by the Training Services Agency have begun with assistance from the Fund.
§ Lord O'HAGANasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they have taken to encourage inquiries about the Social Fund of the EEC from local authorities and voluntary organisations.
§ Lord HUGHESInformation about the Fund is supplied through Departmental publications and through answers to individual inquirers. However, in view of the requirement that applications to the Fund must involve an element of public financial support, the Government do not consider that wider publicity would serve any useful purpose.
§ Lord O'HAGANasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will make a statement on their method of preparing applications to the Social Fund of the EEC.
§ Lord HUGHESIn general, applications are made in respect of one half of expenditure by public authorities, mainly central Government, on eligible activities such as training. Money received from the Fund goes to the Exchequer or, in some cases, to other public authorities such as industrial training boards.