asked the Secretary of State for Employment what aid he expects to be made available from the European Social Fund towards expenditure incurred in the United Kingdom in 1973.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what aid he expects to be made available from the European Social Fund towards expenditure incurred in Northern Ireland in 1973.

The United Kingdom has not yet received formal notification of the extent to which its applications for assistance from the fund have been approved by the Commission of the European Communities. I understand, however, that the sum is likely to be of the order of £24 million. Some £4 million of this would be for expenditure in Northern Ireland.