EC suspends subsidies to five UK regional authorities
Brussels withholds regional subsidies from English regions after financial controls row
Brussels withholds regional subsidies from English regions after financial controls row
The European Commission has suspended funds to five regional authorities in
England over ‘a lack of proper controls over paying agencies’.
The authorities involved are north-east England, north-west England,
Yorkshire and Humberside, London and West Midlands.
No indication of the sums involved was given, but in 2005 the European
Regional Development Fund (ERDF) pumped euros 2bn into the UK, so the loss of
money will be substantial.
In Whitehall, John Pratt, spokesman for the office of Communities and Local
Government (CLG) hoped the suspension would only last months: ‘We’re confident
we’ll be able to address the Commission’s concerns by the summer,’ he claimed.
He said the Commission had ‘asked us to improve a number of on-site checks’
and after lengthy ‘intensive and constructive dialogue with the Commission,’ the
department had put in place a ‘robust’ action plan. The Commission had been
making threats to suspend payments last November if controls were not improved.
Brussels has now given the CLG three months to provide evidence of
compliance, and will resume payments if this is forthcoming.
John Pratt said there was no question of ongoing projects being cancelled, as
claims to Brussels were made in arrears and the CLG was continuing to make the
necessary payments.
The numbers you crunch tell a story. Your expertis...
17yEmbracing user-friendly AP systems can turn the tide, streamlining workflows, enhancing compliance, and opening doors to early payment discounts. Read...
View articleOrganisations can enhance their financial operations' efficiency, accuracy, and responsiveness by adopting platforms that offer them self-service cust...
View articleIn a world of instant results and automated workloads, the potential for AP to drive insights and transform results is enormous. But, if you’re still ...
View resourceDiscover how AP dashboards can transform your business by enhancing efficiency and accuracy in tracking key metrics, as revealed by the latest insight...
View articleAs we get closer to the Budget and there is talk of public spending reduction to fund his proposals, we think a cut by the Chancellor to the headline ...
View articleTechnology industry leaders are pressing the government for substantial investment to prepare the next generation with essential digital and AI skills...
View articleUK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has hinted at the possibility of further tax cuts in the upcoming spring Budget, during his time at the World Economic Forum...
View articleEffective corporate reporting on sustainability will prevent greenwashing issues and deliver more data for better implementation of climate policies R...
View articleCGT receipts have increased by over 100% in the past five years and reached a record level of £18bn in the last year alone, and a further 18% increase...
View articleThe Office for National Statistics reported that inflation in the UK dropped to 7.9% in June Read More...
View articleAccording to the senior Conservative, the Tory party must have one eye on the next general election in deciding the future of the off-payroll working ...
View article23% of business owners having hastened their plans to either sell or wind down their businesses Read More...
View article