HC Deb 19 July 2001 vol 372 cc372-3W
12. Andrew George

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make a statement on the progress of the delivery of European Union aid to the United Kingdom's Objective 1 regions; [3333]

(2) what assessment he has made of the progress achieved by (a) Government and (b) the four UK Objective 1 regions in delivering the Objective 1 programmes within the pre-agreed timetable. [5299]

Mr. Andrew Smith

All the UK's four Objective 1 regions are making good progress on their programmes. We are only 10 months into a seven-year programme, and already over 14 per cent. of the total grant available has been approved for projects. In Cornwall, projects to the value of £54 million grant have been approved—nearly 17 per cent. of the programme's total allocation. In addition, projects with a grant value of also around £54 million—a further 17.6 per cent. of the programme's total allocation—are under appraisal.

Andrew George

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what public match-funds have so far been used to support projects for which European Structural Funds have been offered in each of the four UK Objective 1 regions broken down by(a) public funds and (b) Government Department and by (i) amount offered and (ii) spent so far in each of the four Objective 1 regions; [5302]

(2) what targets have been agreed with the European Commission for (a) financial commitments to projects and (b) receipt of money by projects to which financial commitments have been made in each of the four UK Objective 1 regions for European financial years ending 2001 to 2006; [5301]

(3) how much of the money offered under (a) ERDF, (b) EAGGF, (c) ESF and (d) other European structural funds in each of the four UK Objective 1 regions has been paid out broken down by project, by (i) the total amount so far, (ii) proportion of total EU budget under that fund for the region's Objective 1 programme period and (iii) proportion of money so far offered; [5303]

(4) what grant offers have been made by (a) number of projects and (b) amount of money (sterling) for (i) ERDF, (ii) EAGGF, (iii) ESF and (iv) other structural funds in each of the four UK Objective 1 regions so far. [5298]

Alan Johnson

I have been asked to reply.

The information requested is not held centrally. My Department is in contact with the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (for the three English Objective 1 programmes) and the National Assembly for Wales (for the West Wales and the Valleys programme), which are the organisations responsible for implementation of the programmes, and I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.