§ 8. Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 3 May,Official Report, column 163, what were the rules on additionality under (a) regulation No. 724/75, (b) regulation No. 1787/84 and (c) regulation No. 4253/88; and what steps he is taking to ensure genuine additionality at the regional level, in accordance with article 9 of regulation 4253/88.
§ Mr. LangArticle 9 of regulation 4253/88 calls for the increase in the size of the European Community structural funds to have a genuine additional economic impact in the regions concerned and to result in at least an equivalent increase in the total of public structural aid in the member state concerned. There were no analagous articles in the previous regulations, but they contained provisions about grants supplementing or partially reimbursing national aids.
The impact of the funds in Scotland is clear. Grants are paid to a wide range of local authorities and other bodies, saving them up to 50 per cent. of the cost of qualifying projects. This will continue to be the case, as it has been in the past.