Mr. Jim Callaghanasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the sums received by each of the assisted areas in the United Kingdom from the European Economic Community regional development fund in the years 1975 to 1980; and to what projects this money has been given in development and special areas.
Region 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million North 0.7 13.1 14.2 12.3 16.7 20.4 North West 0.3 4.3 4.5 5.5 29.6 26.9 Yorkshire and Humberside 0.2 1.3 2.6 1.6 2.3 14.7 East Midlands — 0.1 0.2 0.2 1.0 0.5 West Midlands — — — — — 0.1 South West — 0.5 0.8 0.8 0.5 3.9
Region 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million England 1.2 19.3 22.3 20.4 50.1 66.5 Northern Ireland 2.6 7.5 6.4 3.5 16.4 21.1 Scotland 2.0 5.8 15.7 9.9 21.3 26.9 Wales 2.0 4.2 5.0 5.7 19.5 21.9 United Kingdom 7.8 36.8 49.4 39.5 107.3 136.4 Over 2.000 projects in development and special development areas have qualified for grant, and it would not therefore be practicable to give individual details. The sums committed from the ERDF in respect of individual projects are published regularly in "British Business", recent lists having appeared, for example, in the issues dated 1 and 22 February, 27 June and 10 October 1980; and 6 February and 6 March 1981.
Since payments are available only in respect of private sector industrial projects which have already been granted United Kingdom regional aid, they are not passed on to the companies concerned, but retained by the Government as a partial repayment of United Kingdom aid in accordance with the fund regulation.
§ Mr. Rentonasked the Secretary for State for Industry what is the estimated cost of creating a job in the United Kingdom via the regional fund; and how many jobs he estimates have been created in each year through grants received under the European regional development fund.
§ Mr. MacGregorOther than for the purpose of limiting the amounts payable in individual cases, grants from the European regional development fund are not directly linked to the numbers of jobs involved, and no overall records of such details are maintained. Moreover, since the grants are available only for industrial projects which have already been granted United Kingdom regional aids, they are retained by the Government as a partial repayment of those aids, in accordance with article 4.2(a) of the fund regulation.