HC Deb 15 November 1990 vol 180 cc211-2W
Mr. Mallon

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken by Northern Ireland Government Departments and public agencies to avail themselves of funding from the European Community's Interreg scheme; and, in particular, what steps are being

taken to comply with each of the development aims as outlined in European Community notice C(90)1562/3 which lays down guidelines for operational programmes under the Interreg scheme.

Mr. Cope

The Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland is liaising with the Department of Finance in Dublin to draw up a joint programme for submission to the European Commission towards the end of this year.

Following publication of the Interreg guidelines on 30 August, the Department of Finance and Personnel invited local interests to put forward proposals for inclusion in the programme; copies of the guidelines were also circulated to local bodies. Following this, a series of presentations was arranged for early October in Newry, Omagh and Coleraine to ensure local interests were fully aware of the requirements of the guidelines. In addition, a joint North/South conference of all interested parties was held in Enniskillen on 9 November. This conference was organised by the EC offices in Belfast and Dublin.

Of the four development aims mentioned in the guidelines, two do not apply directly to Northern Ireland as there is no external border with a third non-EC country. The development aims will be carefully borne in mind when the joint programme is being drawn up.