§ Mrs. BrowningTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what happens to unspent balances in respect of European Funds for South West Objective 5B at the end of the five year programme. [78374]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 24 March 1999]: The Government's aim is to ensure that, by the end of 1999, all of the European Structural Funds allocated to the South West Objective 5b programme (and elsewhere) are committed to projects. Funds not committed by the end of 1999 would be lost to the programme. Projects will be monitored closely throughout the year to enable funds to be recycled to approved projects on a reserve list if there is a possibility that on-going projects will not use up their full allocation.
After 1999, project managers will have two years in which to complete projects and claim grant. Provided that this is done on time and that claims fully match commitments, funds should have been spent at the end of the current programme period. Any unspent EU Structural Funds remaining at the end of the programme would be lost to the UK.