§ Mr. LeightonTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what projects in Britain are or will be assisted by the extra money allocated to the European investment bank at the Edinburgh summit.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe European investment bank has so far approved loans under the new, temporary facility agreed at Edinburgh to Lothian regional council for water supply, sewerage and road infrastructure schemes and to North West Water Services Ltd. for improvement of waste water infrastructure.
§ Mr. MorganTo ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 17 February to the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Mr. Coe),Official Report, column 269, what response he has had to his application for objective 1 status for Northern Ireland, Merseyside, the Highlands and Islands, rural Wales, Devon and Cornwall and South Yorkshire; what counter-proposals he has; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SainsburyNorthern Ireland's objective 1 status was confirmed at the European Council at Edinburgh.
I am pleased to report that the Commission announced on 24 February that it had decided to propose the highlands and islands and Merseyside for objective 1.
The Government will continue to press the case for the other areas they believe should become objective 1: Devon and Cornwall, rural Wales and South Yorkshire.
The final decision on which regions are eligible For objective 1 rests with the Council of Ministers in the context of the review of the structural funds regulations. I do not expect that decision to come for several months.