§ Lord O'HAGANasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will state how long has elapsed between application and refusal (or acceptance) of the five most recent British applications to the Social Fund and each other grant and loan-making body in the EEC which have been decided on by the authorities which administer them.
Lord WALLACE of COSLANYOn 22nd December 1976 the EEC Commission made decisions on a number of United Kingdom applications to the European Social Fund. In the worst case the period between submission and decision was 20 months; in the best—three months. The period between the submission of the five most recent applications and the date of decision was three or four months. For the last five applications to the European Regional Development Fund, the average period between submission and decision by the EEC Commission was three months.
Applications for loans and research grants from the European Coal and Steel Community are submitted direct to the Commission by firms in the steel industry and by the National Coal Board. Applications for readaptation aid for redundant mineworkers have been decided upon within two to four months of submission. For applications under the Iron and 1021WA Steel Employees Readaptation Benefits Scheme, the period between submission and decision varied between four and nine months.
The five most recent applications for loans from the European Investment Bank were decided upon 11, 12, 7, 14 and 8 weeks respectively after the date by which the applicant had provided the Bank with sufficient preliminary information to enable it to decide whether it should examine the project in depth. Decisions on the projects considered for grant in 1976 from the Guidance Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (FEOGA) for individual projects under Regulation 17/64/EEC were reached on 29th July 1976 and 23rd December 1976. All applications under the 1976 scheme were submitted to the Commission at varying dates prior to 30th April 1976, the closing date set by the Commission for the receipt of applications.