---

NCM

Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade from what date his Department will extend NCM's transitional reinsurance cover.

Mr. Needham : The Export Credits Guarantee Department's transitional reinsurance support to NCM will be extended beyond its originally envisaged expiry date of December 1994 until at least the end of 1997. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 June 1993, Official Report, columns 265-66.

Regional Assistance

Mr. Hardy : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the projects or localities that have been or will be assisted through the use of objective 2 funds from the European Community.

Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 26 November 1993] : The areas at present eligible for European structural funds grants under objective 2 are listed in full in two Commission decisions dated 21 March 1989 and 3 May 1990-- Official Journal No. L 112/19 and 206/26. They include areas in central Scotland, the north-east, west Cumbria, the north-west, Yorkshire and Humberside, the west and east midlands, and north-east and south Wales. A very large number of infrastructure, training and other economic development projects have received, or are receiving, objective 2 grant in these areas in the current, 1989-93, programme period.

Objective 2 areas for the period 1994-96 are under review at present ; and the Government put proposals to the Commission in October. A full list of areas proposed is available in the Library of the House. The final decision on these proposals is expected in December.

Mr. Hardy : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what share and how much EC objective 2 funding has been allocated to the United Kingdom ; and, of this sum, what proportions have now been received or committed.

Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 26 November 1993] : For the period 1989-93 some 3,200 mecu--1992 prices--has been allocated to the United Kingdom under objective 2. This represents 38 per cent. of the total allocated to this objective. To date, over 85 per cent. of the United Kingdom's allocation has been committed to projects.

---

Column 289

NATIONAL HERITAGE

Historic Gardens Awards

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the applicants for European Community financial assistance under this year's awards for the conservation of gardens of historic value ; what were the reasons in each applicable case for a garden not receiving such funding and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Brooke : The EC pilot projects grant scheme makes awards annually to conservation work within certain themes. The 1993 theme was the conservation of gardens of historic value and the English applicants were :

Gibraltar

Gibraltar Botanic Gardens

Avon

Royal Victoria Park

Prior Park

Buckinghamshire

Canes

Hughenden Manor

Stowe--The Lamport Garden

Cheshire

Haughton Hall

Tushingham Hall

Cornwall

Penjerrick

Heligan

Prideaux Place

Cumbria

Brantwood

Naworth Castle

Kirkby Lonsdale, Ruskin's View

Devon

Castle Hill

Alleron

Hill House Nursery and Garden

Derbyshire

Melbourne Hall

Dorset

Mapperton

Essex

Marks Hall

Cressing Temple, Walled Garden

Greater London

Victoria Embankment Gardens

Ham House Avenues

Hogarth House

York House Gardens, Twickenham

William Barefoot Gardens, Greenwich

Priory Gardens, Orpington

Norwood Grove, Norbury

The Privy Garden, Hampton Court

Greater Manchester

Smithills Hall

Hampshire

Laverstoke Park

Sir George Staunton Country Park

Dean Garnier Garden, Winchester

The Wakes, Selbourne

Hereford and Worcester

Hanbury Hall

Hewell Park Garden

---

Column 290

Hertfordshire

Temple Dinsley

Humberside

Burton Constable Hall

Kent

Chatham Dock Yard

Merseyside

Birkenhead Park

Sefton Park

Norfolk

Norwich Parks

Elgood Brewery Garden, Wisbech

North Yorkshire

Hackfall

Allerton Park

Newby Hall

Harewood House

St. Saviour's and St. Crux Churchyards, York

Oxfordshire

Oxford Botanic Gardens

Blenheim Park

Staffordshire

Hulton Abbey

Suffolk

Ickworth Park

Surrey

Roysted

Painshill Park

Gosden House School, Bramley

East Sussex

Exceat Farmhouse, Walled Garden

Brunswick Square and Royal Pavilion

Glynde Place

St. Leonards Subscription Garden

Herstmonceaux Place

Great Dixter

West Sussex

High Beeches

Hammerwood Park

West Dean

West Yorkshire

People's Park

Kirkstall Abbey Monastery Gardens

Wiltshire

Hazelbury Manor

An independent group of experts advises the Commission on the selection of those schemes to be awarded grants ; it is not Commission practice to release reasons for non-selection. I congratulate the English applicants chosen by the Commission to receive assistance under the scheme, which were Painshill park, Cobham ; Harewood terrace, Leeds; Brantwood garden, Coniston; Hanbury Hall garden, Droitwich; and Prior park, Bath.

---