§ Mr. PickthallTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the financial impact per capita of the population of the removal of Objective 5b funding in the North West region. [56913]
§ Mrs. RocheThe Northern Uplands Objective 5b 1994–99 programme, covering parts of the North West, North East and Yorkshire, covers a population of 0.374 million people and 118 million ecu (in 1999 prices) over the six years.
It is not possible at this stage to estimate the impact of any potential changes to coverage until negotiations are completed on transitional arrangements and the Commission's broader rural development proposals.