§ Mr. Robert BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total value of grants from the European Commission given for bricks and mortar projects in the last financial year.
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe Secretary of State for the Environment was responsible for administering the majority of European regional development fund programmes which operated in England between 1989 and 1993. My officials are liaising with colleagues in other Departments, who had similar responsibilities for 733W other European Community programmes and grant regimes during this period, in order to provide my hon. Friend with a full answer. I shall write to him with this information as soon as possible.
In the meantime, I can provide figures for the programmes administered by this Department. I have interpreted "bricks and mortar" projects as those which included building and construction costs as part of their total eligible expenditure. Our records show that, from 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1994, claims from the European regional development fund totalling £119,490,056.48 were paid for projects of this type. This figure includes claims for a number of projects approved under the structural funds regime which operated before 1989.