§ Mr. HardyTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the projects or localities that have been or will be assisted through the use of objective 2 funds from the European Community.
§ Mr. Sainsbury[holding answer 26 November 1993]. The areas at present eligible for European structural funds grants under objective 2 are listed in full in two Commission decisions dated 21 March 1989 and 3 May 1990—Official Journal No. L 112/19 and 206/26. They include areas in central Scotland, the north-east, west Cumbria, the north-west, Yorkshire and Humberside, the west and east midlands, and north-east and south Wales. A very large number of infrastructure, training and other economic development projects have received, or are receiving, objective 2 grant in these areas in the current, 1989–93, programme period.
Objective 2 areas for the period 1994–96 are under review at present; and the Government put proposals to the Commission in October. A full list of areas proposed is available in the Library of the House. The final decision on these proposals is expected in December.
§ Mr. HardyTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what share and how much EC objective 2 funding has been allocated to the United Kingdom; and, of this sum, what proportions have now been received or committed.
§ Mr. Sainsbury[holding answer 26 November 1993]For the period 1989–93 some 3,200 mecu—1992 prices —has been allocated to the United Kingdom under objective 2. This represents 38 per cent. of the total allocated to this objective. To date, over 85 per cent. of the United Kingdom's allocation has been committed to projects.