Press Release

£400 million European Union funding for London secured
24-10-2006   533

Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, and London Councils Chairman, Councillor Merrick Cockell, today welcomed the Government’s announcement that London has secured £400 million of funding from the European Union Structural Funds.

The new round of Structural Funding will be used for skills training, business development and regeneration in London between 2007 - 13 with the priorities for spending closely aligned to the Mayor's Economic Development Strategy.

 
Ken Livingstone said,

“With ten new member states from poorer regions in Eastern Europe joining the European Union there were many predictions that London would receive nothing from the new round of Structural Funds. 
 
‘Thanks to positive engagement with the European Union, my office, working closely with London Councils, the London Development Agency and the voluntary sector, have helped to secure £400 million in funding for the next seven years by ensuring urban areas were given a clear priority.  This is marvellous news for London.
 
‘Although London is one of the world's wealthiest and most vibrant economies twenty five per cent of London's children live in families with no work and the extremes of both poverty and wealth are far too evident across the capital. 
 
‘£300 million of European Social Funds will provide skills training for thousands of Londoners; and £100 million from the European Regional Development Fund will help business development and innovation, all helping to strengthen London's economy.”

Councillor Merrick Cockell said:

“We recognise the new members of the European Union need to benefit from this funding aimed at tackling poverty. However, we are delighted that London’s needs have not been forgotten with the capital now receiving a fairer share of the pot available for England.

‘The grim reality facing thousands of the capital’s families is vastly different from the perception of opulence many people have of life in London. A quarter of the capital’s children live in homes where no-one works and seven of the country’s 20 parliamentary constituencies with the highest levels of unemployment are in London.

‘This money will help give these people a better chance of finding work by providing them with the training and support they need. It will also help create new opportunities through regenerating areas and promoting enterprise across the capital.”

Notes to Editors

1. European Union New Member States include: Cyprus, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Slovak Republic, Estonia, Malta, Slovenia and Hungary.

2. London Structural Funding levels 2007 – 13  
· ESF    €435,497 
· ERDF  €161,386

3. London's response to the National Strategic Reference Framework for EU Structural Funds Programmes. 13th June 2006 http://www.london.gov.uk/london_house/docs/nsrf_report.pdf
 
4.  London Councils was formerly known as the Association of London Government

MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Press information is available from Joe Derrett in the Mayor’s Press Office on 020 7983 4635, or Stewart Henderson in London Councils Press Office on 020 7934 9620 (numbers not for publication)

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