§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the areas in(a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the United Kingdom covered by (i) Article 92(3)(a) and (ii) Article 92(3)(c) of the Treaty establishing the European Community; what was the UK position at the European General Affairs Council on 9 November on the proposed links between the above articles and the new Objective 1 and Objective 2 respectively; what areas in Scotland would be affected by such links and how; and if he will make a statement. [60508]
§ Mrs. RocheNorthern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom covered under Article 92(3)(a). Detailed coverage of the areas covered under Article 92(3)(c) is set out in Statutory Instrument Number 1877, Industrial Development—the Assisted Areas Order 1993, as amended by Statutory Instrument Number 1894, Assisted Areas (Amendment) Order 1993. Copies of both are in the Library of the House.
The Government's position at the European General Affairs Council on 9 November was unchanged from our previous position. We believe that state aids and structural funds are designed for different purposes, and therefore consistency should not be imposed at either Objective 1 or Objective 2 level.
The review of the Assisted Areas and of the Structural Funds are both continuing. It is, therefore, impossible to predict with any certainty what the impact is likely to be for any part of the United Kingdom.