§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) which English Heritage supported regeneration schemes have(a) applied for EC state aid, (b) been successful and (c) been refused in the last 12 months; [43513]
(2) if she will make a statement on EU state aid rules and English Heritage-supported projects. [43514]
§ Dr. Howells[holding answer 15 March 2002]: English Heritage's main historic buildings, monuments, parks and gardens programme, which supports the repair of 506W individual buildings, parks and gardens, was notified to the European Commission as possible state aid in July 2001. We are awaiting the Commission's assessment of the programme's compatibility with the EC Treaty. Grants to individual enterprises from English Heritage's Heritage Economic Regeneration schemes do not require notification as they are compatible with the de minimis block exemption regulation.