§ Mr. BarnesTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list each(a) Government and (b) European Union initiative pertaining to the regeneration of coalfield communities, giving in each case and where appropriate the amount of money received in each of the last 10 years. [50207]
§ Mr. BattleThere are a number of programmes which my Department is responsible for which contribute to the regeneration of coalfield areas. In terms of Government initiatives, DTI offers grants in coalfield closure areas in the form of Regional Selective Assistance and Regional Investment Grants. The DTI also arranged for the transfer of coalfield sites to English Partnerships as part of a coalfield regeneration programme. In relation to European Union initiatives, DTI holds responsibility for European funding under the RECHAR programme.
215WWhere coalfields are located in assisted areas, Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) is available for investment projects which create or safeguard jobs. The table provides details of RSA expenditure by DTI in local authority districts in England which contain coal closure areas.
Regional selective assistance expenditure in local authority districts in England which contain coal closure areas1 Financial year (£000) 1988–89 1,660 1989–90 3,368 1990–91 3,464 1991–92 2,602 1992–93 3,032 1993–94 2,731 1994–95 4,838 1995–96 6,868 1996–97 9,567 1997–98 9,482 Total 47,612 1The following local authority districts contain coal closure areas (as defined by the Government in 1993): Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Broxtowe, Cannock Chase, Chesterfield, Derby, Gedlings, Lichfield, Mansfield, North Norfolk, North East Derbyshire, Newark, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Nottingham, Rotherham, Rushcliffe, South Staffordshire, Sheffield, Stafford, Staffordshire Moorlands, Stoke on Trent and Wakefield Regional Investment Grants (RIG) are available for investment projects undertaken by small businesses. Since April 1997 these have been available only in coal closure areas lying outside the assisted areas. The table provides details of DTI expenditure on RIG in all coal closure areas.
Regiona investment grant expenditure in local authority districts in England which contain coal closure areas Financial year (£100) 1988–89 87 1989–90 779 1990–91 1,264 1991–92 826 1992–93 752 1993–94 718 1994–95 982 1995–96 1,381 1996–97 1,112 1997–98 921 Total 8,822 The English Partnerships Coalfield Portfolio is as follows. In 1996, DTI arranged the transfer to English Partnerships of 56 former coalfield sites (five in the North West, twenty-four in Yorkshire, eighteen in the Midlands and nine in the North East). English Partnerships are taking forward a 10 year programme to reclaim these sites, working together with Coalfield Community groups, private developers and local authorities to improve the environment and create opportunities in these areas for the creation of jobs.
Rechar is a European Community Initiative funded from the European Structural Funds. Its aim is to support the economic conversion and regeneration of the coal mining areas of the European Community hardest hit by 216W the decline of the coal industry. There have been two Rechar initiatives during the last ten years, covering the periods 1992–93 and 1994–99.
There were eleven individual Rechar I programmes for the 1992–93 period for the following areas: TAWSEN (North East), Durham and Cleveland, South Yorkshire, Mid Yorkshire, Lancashire, South Staffordshire, North Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire and North Derby, Western Scotland, Eastern Scotland, and South Wales.
There are eight individual Rechar II programmes for the current 1994–99 period: Eastern Scotland, Western Scotland, North East, North West, East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, and South Wales.
Under these programmes, the following Structural Funds have been paid (cumulative totals):
Rechar I1992–93 Date (as at end month) Paid out (£000—cumulative totals) December 1992 603 December 1993 25,945 December 19941 69,706 December 19951 90,296 1For European Regional Development Fund projects, commitments for payments can be made up to the end of the programme i.e. 31 December 1993.However, claims for payment for those commitments can continue to be made for a further 2 years i.e. until 31 December 1995
Rechar II 1994–99 Date (as at end of month) Paid out (£000) December 1996 1,621 March 1997 11,047 March 1998 25,140