§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the minimum sum required by the Commission of the European Community when making grants from its(a) Regional and (b) Social Fund for each unit of employment calculated to be created or saved as a qualification for making such grants for (i) the Community and (ii) the United Kingdom. [25121]
§ Mr. Andrew SmithThere is no minimum sum of units of employment which have to be created or saved for the European Commission to make grants from its Regional Development Fund or its European Social Fund to the Community or the United Kingdom.
The European Commission negotiates programme plans with each Member State showing targets for the volume of outcomes expected (e.g. jobs created or saved, number of people going into self-employment or further training or further and higher education). Progress towards targets is monitored and evaluated as appropriate. Funding within a programme may be redirected within a programme or to other programmes for a range of reasons—for example, where funds are underspent or where objectives have changed for economic reasons.
Although past programme or project performance may have a bearing on the likelihood of future funding from Europe, there is no "minimum requirement" in terms of jobs.