To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many (a) objective 1, (b) objective 2 and (c) objective 3 areas there are within the European Community; and if he will list them, with the date when such status was granted in each case.

(a) I refer the hon. Member to the list of objective 1 regions annexed to Council regulation (EEC) 2052/88. There are 24 such regions at present. (b) I refer the hon. Member to the Official Journal of 25 April 1989—No. L 206/26—and of 4 August 1990—No. L 112/19—which listed the objective 2 regions in full. There are 137 NUTS III level areas in the Community which are at present designated in whole or in part of objective status. (c) objective 3 measures are available throughout the Community.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the applicants for objective 1 status within the European Community.

There is no formal application system for objective 1 status. For the period 1994 to 1999 the Commission have proposed adding the following regions to the current objective 1 list: the east German Lander and east Berlin; Cantabria in Spain; the Scottish highlands and islands; Merseyside, and Hainaut in Belgium. The Government are also making the case for Devon and Cornwall, rural Wales and South Yorkshire to be designated for objective 1. Other cases have been put for Abruzzi in Italy, Flevoland in the Netherlands and part of France.