§ 76. Mr. Galleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much European regional development fund non-quota infrastructure aid for textile and steel closure areas has been allocated by the European Economic Community Commission to the United Kingdom; how much has been spent; and how much has been committed.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe non-quota programmes approved by the European Commission in respect of certain areas in the United Kingdom suffering from the decline in the textile and steel industries provide for aid from the European regional development fund of about £50.7 million in respect of infrastructure measures. £21 million of this has been committed to specified projects, and £6.5 million has already been spent. In addition, the Commission announced last March that around £7.5 million will be made available to the United Kingdom under the steel non-quota regulation. The necessary amendment to the United Kingdom's programme has not yet been submitted, but it is likely that infrastructure measures would receive about half of this additional money.