Mr. Michael J. FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate the amount of EU subsidies paid to manufacturing industry within Worcestershire for(a) the calendar year 1998 and (b) the financial year 1998–99. [103308]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonThere are no direct operating EU-funded subsidies available to Worcestershire businesses. However, a number of grant schemes, each with specific purposes, operate with EC approval and some are supported in part by EU funds. The most significant to firms in Worcestershire are: Regional Selective Assistance, which is available in the Redditch and Bromsgrove areas; local schemes delivered as part of the Marches Objective 5b programme, which covers some western parts of the county; and SMART, which operates throughout the county.
Three offers of Regional Selective Assistance were made to firms in Worcestershire during the 1998 calendar year and the 1998–99 financial year. The total amount of grant aid offered in these cases was £137,000.
It is estimated that Worcestershire companies benefited from ERDF funding of approximately £250,000 and ESF funding of approximately £75,000 through the Marches Objective 5b programme in 1998. These sums represent grants to individual companies through delegated grant schemes delivered through Business Links and co-financing measures. The ERDF and ESF totals for the financial year 1998–99 were of similar magnitude.
SMART offers totalling £534,384 were made to Worcestershire firms in calendar year 1998 and £428,880 in financial year 1998–99.