Nwicker60
12-Nov-12, 17:08
Better deal for Highlands move
THE Highland Council Leader Councillor Drew Hendry will be in the UK Treasury tomorrow (Tuesday) to lobby for the Highlands and Islands to get a better funding deal from Europe.
Councillor Hendry is a member of a UK cross-party network of MPs and local government representatives, which is meeting Danny Alexander, MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, to urge the Government to support the creation of a category of Transition Regions in the next round of EU Funds (2014-2020). There are 11 in the UK.
Councillor Hendry, who chairs the UK Transition Regions Network, believes Transition Regions deserve special recognition for funding in recognition of their fragile economy, relative poverty and potential for development.
He said: “Over the years, the Highlands and Islands have benefited greatly from European funding and there are a great many examples of how the European Union has made a significant difference throughout our large, rural and fragile region. My colleagues and I on the UK Transition Regions Network believe that regions with particular economic needs should continue to benefit through the creation of Transition Regions in the next round of funding.”
Councillor Hendry continued:“There is an EU Summit next week when delegates will try to reach agreement on the budget, including Transition Regions, so it is important that we seek the support of the UK Government ahead of this important meeting.”The UK Transitions Network shares the Government’s ambition to secure the best deal for the British taxpayer. It argues that Transition Region status for 11 UK regions will significantly increase growth and jobs, especially in the least prosperous parts of the country, thus making a major contribution to the Government’s economic policy objective of “strong, sustained and balanced growth that is more evenly shared across the country and between industries”.
Councillor Hendry added: “The EU’s funds are particularly important in supporting growth, for a number of reasons, not least the seven year planning that they permit. The growth generated will be multiplied several times over, partly because of the requirement for match funding, and also leverage from the private sector which will see the money used as loan or equity rather than grant, and so recycled a number of times.”
THE Highland Council Leader Councillor Drew Hendry will be in the UK Treasury tomorrow (Tuesday) to lobby for the Highlands and Islands to get a better funding deal from Europe.
Councillor Hendry is a member of a UK cross-party network of MPs and local government representatives, which is meeting Danny Alexander, MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, to urge the Government to support the creation of a category of Transition Regions in the next round of EU Funds (2014-2020). There are 11 in the UK.
Councillor Hendry, who chairs the UK Transition Regions Network, believes Transition Regions deserve special recognition for funding in recognition of their fragile economy, relative poverty and potential for development.
He said: “Over the years, the Highlands and Islands have benefited greatly from European funding and there are a great many examples of how the European Union has made a significant difference throughout our large, rural and fragile region. My colleagues and I on the UK Transition Regions Network believe that regions with particular economic needs should continue to benefit through the creation of Transition Regions in the next round of funding.”
Councillor Hendry continued:“There is an EU Summit next week when delegates will try to reach agreement on the budget, including Transition Regions, so it is important that we seek the support of the UK Government ahead of this important meeting.”The UK Transitions Network shares the Government’s ambition to secure the best deal for the British taxpayer. It argues that Transition Region status for 11 UK regions will significantly increase growth and jobs, especially in the least prosperous parts of the country, thus making a major contribution to the Government’s economic policy objective of “strong, sustained and balanced growth that is more evenly shared across the country and between industries”.
Councillor Hendry added: “The EU’s funds are particularly important in supporting growth, for a number of reasons, not least the seven year planning that they permit. The growth generated will be multiplied several times over, partly because of the requirement for match funding, and also leverage from the private sector which will see the money used as loan or equity rather than grant, and so recycled a number of times.”