§ Mr. MallonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of the progress that has been made to date in the attraction of funds from the European Community's LEADER programme, and details of any future developments planned for LEADER-funded projects in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. HanleyNorthern Ireland, as the United Kingdom's only objective 1 region, has been accorded an indicative LEADER allocation of 2.8 million ecu. This is disappointingly low, given that the closest contact has been maintained with the Commission throughout the developmental stages of this initiative to ensure the greatest possible compatibility between LEADER and the new rural development structures being established in Northern Ireland.
However, the Commission has confirmed that the indicative allocations may be revised to take account of the quality of the programmes presented. Accordingly I am considering with officials how best to maximise the Northern Ireland allocation under the initiative. I will be making a statement shortly about the arrangements for implementing the LEADER programme in Northern Ireland.