§ Adam PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the additionality requirements under the European Structural Funds regulations have been met by the UK Objective 1 programmes at their mid-term stage. [148434]
§ Jacqui SmithThere are no specific additionality requirements that have to be met under the European Structural Funds regulations at the mid-term point. The purpose of the mid-term verification exercise is to determine whether a member state's economic position has changed to the extent that some adjustment is required to its programmes.
As stated in my reply to the hon. Member's earlier question on 13 January 2004, Official Report, column 701W, data supplied to the Commission in December for the UK Objective 1 programmes demonstrated that for each programme the average annual expenditure for the period 2000–02 was equal to or better than that forecast in the 2000–06 ex-ante tables published in the original Single Programming Documents for each Objective 1 area. As a result, there will be no need for adjustment of any of the Objective 1 programmes.