HC Deb 09 February 2000 vol 344 cc221-2W
Mr. Sanders

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 31 January 2000,Official Report, column 478W, if he will list those seaside resort wards on the Objective 2 European funding map that would not have qualified for inclusion had they not been in seaside resorts. [108635]

Mr. Caborn

I have been asked to reply.

All areas including seaside resorts proposed for new Objective 2 area status met the criteria set out in Article 4 of the Council Regulation (EC) No. 1260–1999 for European Structural Funds. Eligible areas qualified under the industrial, rural, urban or fisheries strand.

Being a seaside resort was not a criterion for selection. The criteria were linked to unemployment, urban deprivation, and structural problems in industry, agriculture or fishing.

The criteria were applied on an objective and consistent basis nationally. We made every effort to include regional priority wards where we could do so within the constraints of the legislation and the population ceiling.