asked Her Majesty's Government:

What administration costs were incurred by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in relation to the European structural and cohesion funds for the last financial year for which figures are available. [HL1383]

The European regulations set out the arrangements for the administration of the structural funds in each member state. The Cohesion Fund does not operate in the UK.

The designated managing authorities in England are as follows:

Communities and Local Government, for the European Regional Development Fund

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), for the European Social Fund.

Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for the 2000-06 European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund.

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the responsibility for managing the Structural Funds rests with the Devolved Administrations.

The Marine and Fisheries Agency of Defra are responsible for the 2000-06 Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance throughout the United Kingdom.

BERR has responsibility for co-ordinating the monitoring and reporting of the implementation of the structural funds programmes across the UK, and takes the policy lead for the United Kingdom on the structural and cohesion funds.