§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what agreement has been reached between his Department and the European Commission with regard to an objective 4 plan for the United Kingdom in the period 1994 to 1999.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythFollowing the EC Commission's announcement on 19 January 1994 that the Great Britain allocation under European social fund objectives 3 and 4 for 1994 to 1999 would be 3,377 million ecu, the Government decided that the entire allocation should be used for the foreseeable future on objective 3 to help the unemployed, as it had been agreed by Council and Commission that member states would be free to decide on the allocation of funding between the two objectives. The decision was announced on 25 January 1994 in a response to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, North (Mr. Heald),Official Report, column 223. There is, therefore, no need for a plan for objective 4 for the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the obstacles in the negotiations with the European Commission in the finalisation of the United Kingdom's objective 3 budget and operation for 1994 to 1999; and when he expects those difficulties to be overcome.
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§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe United Kingdom objective 3 plan was submitted in early November 1993. The European Commission opened formal negotiations on 27 April 1994. It is too early to say what obstacles will emerge, or how soon the negotiations can be concluded, although the United Kingdom has consistently pressed for speedy progress and will continue to do so.