THE Foreign Secretary, Mr Douglas Hurd, has assured council leaders in
the Highlands and islands that the Government will take full account of
their case for priority funding status within Europe.
Mr Hurd has, however, stopped short of committing Government support
for the councils in their efforts and believes that it would be
premature for him to meet a deputation of conveners from the three
islands councils and Highland, Strathclyde, and Grampian regional
councils. Strathclyde is involved because its interests in Argyll, and
Grampian because of Moray.
The councils have been waging a long campaign to get the Highlands and
islands returned to priority status, the EC's Objective One category,
which attracts 80% of the money from the structural funds such as the
European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund.
Objective One includes Ireland, Greece, and parts of Italy, while the
Highlands and islands sit in Objective 5B along with parts of France and
Germany.
The membership of the different objectives is up for review next year
and the councils, along with Mrs Winnie Ewing, the area's MEP, are
pushing hard for the Highlands and islands' membership of Objective One.
Mr Hurd has written to the councils advising them to keep Scottish
Secretary Ian Lang and the Scottish Office in touch with any work which
is commissioned in support of their argument. He was not sure how far
negotiations on the reform of the structural funds would proceed under
the UK's European presidency.
He wrote: ''The draft regulations have not yet been published by the
Commission and discussion is therefore yet to begin in earnest.
Nevertheless, my UK colleagues, who will be representing the Government
in the negotations, will take full account both of your interests and
those of other UK regions.''
Yesterday the convener of Highland Regional Council, Mr Duncan
McPherson, said that the response was encouraging although he and the
other council conveners would have liked to have won a meeting with Mr
Hurd at this stage.
''Although he has not made any promises in relation to supporting our
case for Objective One status, he does indicate that our interests will
be covered in negotiations.
''I think it will be useful for the six conveners to get together as a
group to discuss the nature and timing of any politicial lobbying of the
Government and the European Commission.''
Earlier this week Highland councillors met Mr David McCarthy, managing
director of Marine Harvest, following last week's announcement that the
comany was paying off 120 in Fort William and 25 at Lochailort. The
company's retail cutting and packing operation in Fort William is to be
closed.
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