HC Deb 06 March 2000 vol 345 cc467-8W
Mrs. Ellman

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress he has made in meeting the requirements of the European Commission for the securing of public sector funding for the Objective 1 programme for Merseyside. [112940]

Mr. Caborn

It is for the Merseyside partnership to satisfy the European Commission's requirements for approval of the Single Programming Document for the Merseyside Objective 1 programme. However, my Department, other Government Departments and the Government Office for the North West are assisting the Merseyside partnership in negotiations with the Commission and in other ways, notably identifying match funding.

Mrs. Ellman

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to co-ordinate Government activities relating to the Objective 1 programme for Merseyside and those of other Objective 1 areas. [112941]

Mr. Caborn

Responsibility for the Merseyside Objective 1 rests primarily with the Merseyside partnership. The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions leads for the Government on regional policy in England. My Department is in contact with the three English Objective 1 areas and is assisting in negotiations with the European Commission as well as co-ordinating the response of all the Government Departments concerned with central government match funding for the English Objective 1 programmes.