§ Mr. EnrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether local authorities in areas eligible to receive European regional development fund assistance will, from 1993–94, automatically have public expenditure cover made available for them to enable those local authorities to claim fully the European regional development fund made available by the European Commission.
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§ Mr. Lilley[holding answer 28 February 1992]: Yes. Local authorities are, however, of course not the only recipients of grant from the fund. In accordance with my statement on 17 February, from 1993–94 local authorities will receive supplementary credit approvals to match in full the ERDF-funded part of their expenditure on approved capital projects. Public expenditure cover will also be made available automatically for all other forecast ERDF receipts.
I welcome the Commission's announcement on 26 February of its approval of the Government's RECHAR programmes.