EU Grants and Loans
Communities and Local Government
Brandon Lewis (Great Yarmouth, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to his Department's press notice of 1 August 2011, on European Regional Development Funding, how much funding has been lost in financial corrections and unrecoverable amounts due to irregularities in the 2000 to 2006 programme.
Bob Neill (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Communities and Local Government; Bromley and Chislehurst, Conservative)
There has been £101.3 million in financial corrections and unrecoverable amounts arising from irregularities from the European Regional Development Fund 2000-06 programme throughout the period 2000-11.
The Fund programme has been plagued by a legacy of poor administration and fines that dates back to 2000. The coalition Government have overhauled the management of these schemes, bringing them in-house, and successfully minimising the liabilities.
The measures that this Government have taken have been recognised by the European Commission.
Administration of European Regional Development Fund 2000-06 programme had been the responsibility of the Government Offices for the Regions. Following the closure of the Government Offices, management of the Fund programme moved in-house to the Department for Communities and Local Government on