STATEMENT BY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR WELLS

Early day motion 365, tabled 8 February 2000 by Chris Ruane (Labour). Signed by 24 members.

That this House notes the statement by the Right honourable Member for Wells, the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, in Treasury questions on 3rd February that the Government should stop 'scrabbling around trying to increase the level of handouts from the EU Budget' for those regions that have secured Objective One status from the European Union; calls upon the Right honourable Member urgently to clarify Conservative Party policy on this matter, given that Welsh Conservative members of the National Assembly for Wales are proposing to vote against the Labour administration in the assembly for its alleged failure to secure more money from Europe; and further calls upon the Right honourable Member to state unequivocally if it is now Conservative Party policy to refuse all structural fund from the EU.

Signatures by party: Labour 22, Labour/Co-operative 1, Liberal Democrat 1.