HC Deb 29 July 1998 vol 317 cc355-6W
Mr. Redwood

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of EU structural funding for the United Kingdom will go to rural areas in(a) 1998, (b) 1999 and (c) 2000. [52596]

Mr. Mandelson

[holding answer 27 July 1998]: Rural areas of the United Kingdom receive funding under Objective 1 in the Highlands and Islands, and under Objective 5b and the LEADER Community Initiative. Structural Funds allocations for these programmes for both 1998 and 1999 are some 9 per cent. of the total Structural Funds allocation to the United Kingdom. Allocations for 2000 are not yet known. Part of the funding under the national Objective 3, 4, and 5a programmes and under the Northern Ireland Objective 1 programme, also goes to rural areas; however, the amount is not separately identifiable without incurring disproportionate cost.

Mr. Redwood

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much EU structural funding rural areas of the United Kingdom received in(a) 1995, (b) 1996, (c) 1997. [52595]

Mr. Mandelson

[holding answer 27 July 1998]: Rural areas of the United Kingdom receive funding under Objective 1 in the Highlands and Islands, and under Objective 5b and the LEADER Community Initiative. Structural Funds allocations for these are shown in the table. Part of the funding under the national Objective 3, 4, and 5a programmes and under the Northern Ireland Objective 1 programme also goes to rural areas; however, the amount is not separately identifiable without incurring disproportionate cost.

Structural funds allocations to UK rural areas—1998 prices
million ecu
1995 1996 1997
Highlands and Islands SPD 50 53 56
UK Objective 5b SPDs 136 156 157
LEADER Community Initiative 13 15 15
Total 199 224 228

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