Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many applications for aid from the European Regional Fund have been received by him from (a) local authorities, (b) other public agencies, and (c) private agencies;
(2) how many applications for aid from the European Regional Fund received by his office have been submitted by him to the fund's administrators in each of the categories (a) local authorities, (b) other public agencies and (c) private agencies;
(3) what is the total value of the applications for aid from the European Regional Development Fund received by his office from each of the categories (a) local authorities, (b) other public agencies, and (c) private agencies;
(4) what is the total value of applications for aid from the European Regional Development Fund submitted by him to the fund's administrators in each of the following categories (a) local authorities, (b) other public agencies and (c) private agencies;
(5) what proportion of the applications for aid from the European Regional Development Fund submitted by his office fall primarily into each of the following categories (a) advance factory building, (b) infrastructure improvements, (c) retraining and (d) aids towards autonomous regional long-term development.
§ Mr. John SilkinMy Department has forwarded to the fund's administrators, through the Department of Industry, applications covering 170 projects. 104 were from local authorities and 66 from372W other public agencies. Only infrastructure projects financed by public authorities or agencies with similar responsibilities are eligible for assistance. The total 1975 expenditure involved was about £33 million, with a potential grant of about £10 million, divided almost equally between projects from local authorities and projects from other public agencies. About 40 per cent. of the projects were for advance factory building and about 60 per cent., for infrastructure improvements.
These submissions were made following consultations with local and other public authorities in which details of about 450 projects were considered—350 from local authorities and nearly 100 from other public agencies. These projects represented about £120 million of 1975 expenditure divided almost equally between local authorities and other public agencies.