§ Ms MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will describe the two schemes which provide grants for investments within agriculture and the fishing industry, as mentioned in Northern Ireland expenditure plans and priorities 1994–95 to 1996–97, section 5.21; and if he will give a breakdown of the 15 agricultural projects within which received aid from these schemes in 1993 and of the 11 projects within the fishing sector which received aid from these schemes. [15429]
§ Mr. AncramGrants for processing and marketing of agricultural products are made under European Commission Regulation No. 866/90, which is designed to improve the agricultural processing and marketing infrastructure in member states. Aid is given towards the cost of capital investments—new and refurbished buildings and new equipment. In Northern Ireland, the scheme provides grants at the rate of 35 per cent. of eligible expenditure, up to a limit of £1 million. The minimum eligible project size is £70,000 eligible costs.
The 15 projects awarded grants in 1993 are in the following list.
484W
Beneficiary Project description £ Amount of award Etherson Meats Ballymoney Extensions and alterations to existing factory premises 104,505 Castlewood Farm Products Belfast Refurbishment of new premises 286,171 Fred C. Robinson Ballyclare Construction of chill, curing and processing facilities and purchasing of additional plant 470,882 Wm Sprott Ltd. Portadown Rationalisation and upgrading of processing capabilities 460,243 Unipork Holdings Cookstown Rationalisation of group killing and chilling facilities 900,000 Townsend Meats Cullybackey Construction of new meat processing plant designed to conform to latest EC requirements 169,837
Beneficiary Project description £ Amount of award Lean and Easy Limavady Processing and marketing of boneless lamb products 26,477 S and M Meats Castlewellan Establishment of EC—approved meat processing plant 148,533 Fermanagh Creameries Lisnaskea To increase competitiveness and expand production of speciality cheeses 379,400 Robert Clarke Ltd. Keady Installation of egg grader and factory refurbishment 297,277 G. Bell and Sons Crossgar Integrated cutting premises for poultry meat 112,174 North Down Grain Ltd. Ballywalter Extension of cereal, oilseed and pulses drying, processing and storage facilities 86,792 J. J. Quinn Dungannon Construction of new cold storage facilities 102,988 Pippin Foods Ltd. Portadown Expansion of existing facilities; new plant and equipment 251,306 Kelly Flowers Ltd. Lisburn Construction of a temperature-controlled flower and plant packaging and presentation unit 49,622 Grants to improve the processing and marketing of fisheries and aquaculture products are made under European Council Regulation No. 4042/89. Like the agricultural scheme, aid is given toward the cost of capital investments—new and refurbished buildings and new equipment. In Northern Ireland, the scheme provides grants at the rate of up to 35 per cent. of eligible expenditure up to a limit of £900,000. Total project costs must not be less than £25,000 and not more than £6 million.
The 11 fisheries projects awarded grant in 1993 are in the following list.
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Beneficiary Project description £ Amount of award Quibros Exports Provision of facilities for processing and packaging of fresh and frozen fish at Cookstown, Co Tyrone 59,649 Newport Fish Co Ltd. Expansion of existing processing facilities at Cookstown, Co Tyrone 38,354 Goldfish Ltd. Improvements to processing facilities at Belfast 30,940
Beneficiary Project description £ Amount of award C and O Milligan The modernisation and extension of fish processing facilities at Ardglass, Co Down 201,254 Byrne Fish The construction of a new fish processing factory designed to conform to the latest EC regulations at Ballyhornan, Co Down 72,456 Middleton Seafoods Modernisation of factory of increase efficiency and marketing opportunities and improve hygiene standards at Portavogie, Co Down 69,338 T H Nicholson The construction of a new fish processing factory designed to conform to EC standards at Kilkeel, Co Down68, 733 J W Cochrane Modernisation, refurbishment and extension of fish processing factory to bring about compliance with forthcoming EC legislation at Ardglass Co Down 148,511 Kilkeep Kippering The modernisation, upgrading and refurbishment of fish processing facilities to conform to the latest EC standards at Kilkeel, Co Down 79,946 George Milligan Upgrading of processing facilities at Ardglass, Co Down 194,250 Kenneth Kennedy New fish processing factory at Ardglass, Co Down 279,088