§ Dr. Cunninghamasked the Paymaster General if he will publish the criteria used by his Department in selecting projects for submission to the European Economic Community Commission for funding under the European Social Fund.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyIt is our policy to submit all eligible applications to the social fund, in order to gain as much support as possible for United Kingdom training and job creation projects. Conditions for eligibility are contained in European Council Decisions and Regulations, last revised in 1983. Among the basic conditions are the schemes must be lawful in the member state, that they must secure matching funds from a public authority in the member state, and that they must provide training or create jobs for eligible categories of people. Copies of the fund rules were laid before the House at the time when they were agreed, and are also available on request from the Department.