§ Mr. BerminghamTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list all local authority areas in the United Kingdom which are to qualify for objective 2 support from the European Commission; and if he will make a statement.
377W
§ Mr. Atkins[holding answer 20 July 1989]: My reply to the hon. Members for Bassetlaw (Mr. Ashton) and for Pontefract and Castleford (Mr. Lofthouse), (Official Report, Volume 153, no. 111, columns 459–60) listed all the areas of the United Kingdom designated as eligible for the European regional development fund.
The list of areas designated by the Commission under objective 2 was published in the official journal of the European Communities of 25 April 1989 (No. L112/19). The areas were defined by combined reference to local authority areas and travel-to-work areas. The hon. Member's constituency was designated in its entirety.
The list of objective 2 areas is generally very satisfactory, but I regret that a number of areas have been excluded by the Commission despite repeated representations by my right hon. Friend and others.