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The department does not maintain records of the value of FQA units. Consequently, no assessment has been made.

At the end of the 2001 decommissioning scheme, 98 vessels had been decommissioned and the licences associated with these vessels contained 317,151 FQA units.The department does not maintain records of the value of FQA units.

The following tables show the annual amounts available from the European Commission for allocation to projects within European Structural Funds programmes for calendar years 2000-03 and relates to the 2000-06 programme period. Most of the figures for 1999 relate to the previous programme period of 1994-99. The majority of this information is not available by local authority area and is therefore broken down by programme or community initiative.Table 1

Programme	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Objective 2: South	See table 21	10.533	10.674	10.794	10.892
Objective 2: East	See table 21	47.294	44.259	41.068	37.608
Objective 2: West	See table 21	84.924	81.050	76.923	72.384
Objective 3	93.6042	78.461	74.517	70.364	66.792
Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme	55.1853	56.606	54.548	52.746	50.431
Community Initiative
Leader +	1.3743	0	4.335	4.084	4.660
Urban II	14.4354	0	1.928	2.187	2.187
Equal5	-	-	0.744	12.160	-
Adapt	13.574	-	-	-	-
Employment	5.741	-	-	-	-
Rechar	0.225	-	-	-	-
East Rechar	0.842	-	-	-	-
Resider	10.824	-	-	-	-

Notes: Figures expressed in millions of euros.1. Figures for 1999 relate to the previous programmes. As they do not equate exactly to the current programmes their equivalents are set out in table 2.2. This figure includes the former Objective 3 and now defunct Objective 4 programmes as the two were effectively merged into a new programme as part of the reform of the structural funds in advance of the current programming round.3. Figures for 1999 relate to the Highlands and Islands Objective 1 Programme and to Leader II respectively which both ran from 1994-99. 4. Figure relates to the Urban 1994-99 programme.5. First year of EQUAL was 2001. Allocations not yet made for 2003.Table 2

Programme	1999
Objective 5b Programmes 1994-99
Dumfries and Galloway	22.090
Rural Stirling and Upland Tayside	16.922
North West Grampian	22.226
Borders	21.594
Objective 2: East of Scotland 1997-99	48.856
Objective 2: West of Scotland 1997-99	286.375

Notes: Figures expressed in millions of euros.

The Scottish Executive makes no direct contribution to match funding at project level. Match funding for European Structural Funded projects is provided by the individual project sponsors, the funding for many of whom comes directly from the Scottish Executive either in whole or in part. This ensures local commitment to local priorities, accountability and value for money.

The Scottish Executive has encouraged the five Programme Management Executives (PMEs) (who implement the programmes on the ground on behalf of the Scottish Executive) to pursue actively a range of activities to raise awareness of the availability of European Structural Funds programmes, including:the provision of websites and the circulation to all partner organisations of programme bulletins providing up to date information on funds available and forthcoming application rounds; facilitation of fast-track applications, rolling programmes and additional application rounds where appropriate; delivery of regular application advice surgeries and workshops across the country;engaging with target communities to stimulate applications for community economic development support; analysis of underlying reasons for slow uptake in particular measures or areas, andefforts to promote private sector interest in the funds.The Scottish Executive is in the process of implementing a new web-based application and claim form system, which will streamline the process for applicants. The new application forms have been developed and are being phased in according to the timetables of the application rounds run by each PME. PMEs will introduce the new forms and processes to applicant organisations and provide training and support to assist them in preparing grant applications.

Departmental records are only available for the last decommissioning scheme in 2001. At the end of this scheme, 98 vessels had been decommissioned and the licences associated with these vessels contained 317,151 FQA units.However, these FQA units were not decommissioned along with the vessel. Once these licences had been surrendered, the licence-holder was given up to three years to transfer these FQA units to other vessels.

A tendering exercise is currently under way. Subject to the progress of discussions with tenderers, a decision is expected in the summer of 2003. The resources freed up for the criminal justice system will depend on the outcome of the tender process.

The maximum cost to the Executive is estimated at £1.8 million. The actual costs will depend on decisions made by local authorities on the applications for hardship relief.

The processing sector is currently represented on the board of the Sea Fish Industry Authority by Mr Iain MacSween and Mr Jeff Evans. The eight industry members of the board are appointed to represent interests across the sea fish industry, striking a careful balance of geographical and sectoral representation. Mr Danny Couper of the Scottish Fish Merchants Federation was appointed for a three-year term on 1 April 2000, but resigned on 21 May 2001. Fisheries ministers appointed Mr MacSween as his replacement.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34655 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.