§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her answer of 5 May 1998,Official Report, column 265, if she will make a statement on the basis on which the map for European NUTS II submitted to Eurostat was compiled, and if the map is being used to determine structural fund allocations. [43615]
§ Mrs. RocheThe criteria used by the UK Government Statistical Service in formulating proposals for changes to the NUTS classification are set out in the consultation document issued by the Office for National Statistics in June 1996. A copy of this was placed in the House of Commons Library.
The extent to which NUTS boundaries could be used for structural fund allocations will be set out in the relevant regulations. The European Commission made its proposals on 18 March 1998; these now need to be negotiated in the Council of Ministers and where appropriate approved by the European Parliament. The NUTS boundaries for the UK which might then be used may depend on the timing of the conclusion of discussions between the Government Statistical Service and Eurostat.