Emmet Stagg
Question:46 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for the Marine the plans, if any, he has for the disbursement of EC Structural Funds.
Written Answers. - EC Structural Funds Disbursement.
EC Structural Funds will be disbursed by my Department in respect of fishery and commercial harbours development, processing and marketing of fishery products and industry training and education needs.
The European Regional Development Fund will contribute £7.5 million to a development programme for fishery harbours. Pending finalisation of this development programme, I cannot say at this stage what Structural Funds will be made available to any particular harbour development works.
It is expected that Structural Funds will contribute £30 million to a development programme for commerical harbours. However, the final allocation and the breakdown of expenditure between the projects will not be finalised until the peripherality programme has been approved by the EC.
Under EC Council Regulation 4042/89 grants of up to 50 per cent will be made available for investments in respect of fishing and aquaculture products and which cover, in particular, premises and/or equipment intended, inter alia, for processing and marketing.
A sum of £2.8 million will be made available from the European Social Fund in the period 1990-93 for BIM's training and education programme. The main thrust of the programme will be to raise the level of crew skill and overall vessel operating efficiency throughout the fishing industry.