§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was allocated from the social and258W regional funds of the European Union to the United Kingdom during the 1999 financial year; what was the value of match funding from United Kingdom sources; and from what sources these match funds were derived. [105124]
§ Mr. CabornAllocations from the European Union's Structural Funds relate to multiannual programmes. Expenditure must be committed within the programme period, but may be spent up to two years after the end of the period. There are therefore no allocations for specific years, and expenditure during 1999 would be in the context of programmes approved during the 1994–99 financing period with expenditure allowed until the end of 2001.
The level of match funding varies from programme to programme. The sources of match funding will depend on the nature of the many individual projects. It is the responsibility of applicants for funding to identify the sources of match funding for their projects. Programme secretariats can advise on this. There are many potential sources, e.g. central government, local authorities, the voluntary and private sectors. No central records exist of the sources of match funding used for individual projects.