§ Mr. Pawseyasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will seek to have Warwickshire and Coventry made eligible for finance from (a) the European regional fund and (b) the European social fund.
§ Mr. David MitchellThe greater part of the European regional development fund is allocated between member States in prescribed quotas and is available only to member States' regionally aided areas which, for the United Kingdom, are taken to be Northern Ireland and the assisted areas of Great Britain. Extending the areas eligible for fund aid to Warwickshire and Coventry would not increase the amount of money allocated to the United Kingdom and would result in the available aid being spread more thinly. This would be inconsistent with the Government's existing policy of concentrating regional aid in areas of greatest need.
In the case of the European social fund, the current Council and Commission rules require that at least 50 per cent. of the fund is reserved for schemes in regions eligible for assistance from the European regional development fund, but certain types of scheme in Coventry and Warwickshire could be eligible for social fund assistance.