§ Mr. FlightTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the rapport d' information approved at the plenary session of the Economic and Social Committee on 29 and 30 October on territorial employment pacts; and if he will make a statement. [18154]
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyI have been asked to reply.
I have placed a copy of the Economic and Social Committee's information report in the Library of the House.
As I announced in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Stretford and Urmston, (Mr. Hughes) of 31 July 1997, Official Report, columns 635–36, the UK nominated 10 territorial employment pacts to the Commission. The Commission agreed to support our nominations and has been discussing detailed proposals submitted by the applicants. When these are approved, the Commission will pay an initial tranche of grant to them to support the development of local action plans.