Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Industry (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 applications for aid from the European Regional Development Fund submitted by him to the fund's administration in each of the following categories (a) local authorities, (b) other public agencies and (c) private agencies;
(4) 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.
(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 386W and (d) aids towards autonomous regional long-term development.
§ Mr. Gregor MackenzieThe Department of Industry is responsible for forwarding all the United Kingdom's applications to the Regional Development Fund. As regards the applications which the Department itself prepares, the Department has consulted a number of public agencies and private companies whose investment projects appeared likely to qualify under the fund regulation.
As a result applications requesting some £8 million of assistance from the fund have been submitted to the Commission; 197 individual projects are covered by these applications. Of these about 60 per cent. are advance factories and 40 per cent. are private industrial investments.
The Department of Industry's applications do not include local authority or retraining projects.
§ Mr. Moonmanasked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the total value of application for aid from the European Regional Development Fund submitted by him to the fund's administrators; and from which section and authority they have come.
§ Mr. Gregor MackenzieThe Department of Industry is responsible for forwarding all United Kingdom applications to the European Regional Development Fund. Applications are prepared not only by the Department of Industry but by a number of the other Departments, including the Department of the Environment, the Welsh and Scottish Offices and the Northern Ireland Departments. My Department has prepared and submitted on its own behalf applications covering 197 projects involving about £8 million of fund assistance.
About 45 per cent. of the assistance requested relates to advance factories built for the Department and about 55 per cent. of the assistance relates to private industrial investment projects.
Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Industry on what date he submitted to the European Regional Fund applications for aid from the fund for particular projects.
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Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he submitted to the European Regional Fund applications for aid from the fund for particular projects.
Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date he submitted to the European Regional Fund applications for aid from the fund for particular projects.
Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date he submitted to the European Regional Fund applications for aid from the fund for particular projects.
Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date he submitted to the European Regional Fund applications for aid from the fund for particular projects.
§ Mr. Gregor MackenzieI have been asked to reply also to the other questions.
The Department of Industry is responsible for forwarding the United Kingdom's applications to the European Regional Development Fund. These have been sent in two instalments: the first on 22nd August and the second between 6th and 8th October. These applications are designed to take up in full the United Kingdom's share of the fund for 1975.