HC Deb 30 October 1975 vol 898 cc564-5W
Mrs. Kellett-Bowman

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the criteria which he will use when drawing up the regional development programmes which must be presented to the Regional Policy Committee of the EEC by 19th December 1975; and in what way he will consult the different regions of England when drawing up these programmes.

Mr. John Silkin

The regulation establishing the European Regional Development Fund lays down that regional development programmes are to be prepared to provide a framework within which applications for assistance can be considered. A timetable is to be set so that all programmes will be available by the end of 1977. The regulation gives the Committee for Regional Policy the task of providing by the end of this year an outline of the information to be included in the programmes and a suggested outline received general approval at the last meeting of the committee. I shall be considering how the different regions of England can best be consulted on the programmes.

Mrs. Kellett-Bowman

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the criteria he uses when deciding on which projects he will put forward for aid from the European Regional Development Fund.

Mr. John Silkin

In considering which projects to put forward for aid from the European Regional Development Fund I have had regard to the provisions of the regulation establishing the fund, to the relative seriousness of the problems of the areas concerned and to the contribution which the individual projects would make to relieving them. The regulation lays down that priority is to be given to investments in national priority areas, and I have, therefore, given a substantial measure of preference to projects in special development areas and development areas. More experience of the fund's working is needed before we can be sure how the provisions in the regulation governing assistance to infrastructure will be applied, and at this stage I have thought it best to concentrate on basic infrastructure projects having a close and clearly established link with the development of industry