To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the £18 million approved by the European Commission in respect of STRIDE, Prisma and Telematique programmes will be allocated in Northern Ireland.

The amounts of EC aid allocated to the Northern Ireland programmes are as follows:

• £10 million—STRIDE
• £4 million—Prisma
• £4 million—Telematique

All three programmes will be managed by the Department of Economic Development. Press announcements seeking applications for assistance under the STRIDE measure have already appeared and similar calls for Prisma and Telematique projects will be made shortly.