§ Mr. ÖpikTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which areas of England and Wales are covered by the European Social Fund Objective 3 Funding; when the funding scheme will come into operation; and if he will make a statement. [122101]
§ Ms JowellIn England, Objective 3 will cover all the English regions, except for the Objective 1 areas of Merseyside, Cornwall and South Yorkshire. I expect the European Commission to approve our plan in June, and for bidding rounds to be held in all regions before the end of July. In Wales Objective 3 will cover the seven unitary authorities outside the Objective 1 area of West Wales and the Valleys. The Welsh plan has been prepared by the National Assembly for Wales, and I understand that approval from the Commission is expected in time for the programme to come into operation either in the summer or in the early part of the autumn.