{ "format" : "linked-data-api", "version" : "0.2", "result" : {"_about" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?date=2014-07-16&houseId=1&answer.answeringMemberConstituency=Keighley&max-date=2014-10-21&max-answer.dateOfAnswer=2014-10-24", "definition" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/meta/answeredquestions.text?date=2014-07-16&houseId=1&answer.answeringMemberConstituency=Keighley&max-date=2014-10-21&max-answer.dateOfAnswer=2014-10-24", "extendedMetadataVersion" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?date=2014-07-16&houseId=1&answer.answeringMemberConstituency=Keighley&max-date=2014-10-21&_metadata=all&max-answer.dateOfAnswer=2014-10-24", "first" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?date=2014-07-16&_page=0&houseId=1&answer.answeringMemberConstituency=Keighley&max-date=2014-10-21&max-answer.dateOfAnswer=2014-10-24", "hasPart" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?date=2014-07-16&houseId=1&answer.answeringMemberConstituency=Keighley&max-date=2014-10-21&max-answer.dateOfAnswer=2014-10-24", "isPartOf" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?date=2014-07-16&houseId=1&answer.answeringMemberConstituency=Keighley&max-date=2014-10-21&max-answer.dateOfAnswer=2014-10-24", "items" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/78383", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/78383/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

In 2013, £4.1 million was withdrawn from European Regional Development Fund allocations, which represents a tiny proportion of the total £2.74 billion budget. All spending of taxpayers\u2019 money must ensure value for money and money should not be spent on poor quality projects. In addition, all spending must comply with complex EU rules, or else risk \u201cfinancial corrections\u201d down the line.<\/p>

<\/p>

The European Regional Development Fund is a circular programme. UK taxpayers\u2019 money is given to the European Union budget. Under the Fund, a local project receives a contract, spends money and then claims from DCLG. DCLG then claims funds back from the European Commission. The whole process goes through a complex auditing process involving DCLG auditors and then European Union auditors. After a period of time, the majority of unspent funding is returned to the UK Government by the European Commission. We continue to have concerns over the bureaucratic and time consuming nature of the related processes involved in the programme.<\/p>

<\/p>

<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4043", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kris Hopkins"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Keighley"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kris Hopkins"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-22T16:19:41.4032284Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-07-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "EU Grants and Loans"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of funds allocated in each region under the European Regional Development Fund have been returned as a result of slippage and underperformance in each region; and on what dates each such withdrawal took place.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4128", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chuka Umunna"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Streatham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Chuka Umunna"} ], "uin" : "206266"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/78384", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/78384/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

Since 2007, the 2007-13 round of the European Regional Development Fund has seen 1,535 projects across England approved, with £2.7 billion of funds committed.<\/p>

Of these, 860 bids were approved since May 2010; a further 395 were either withdrawn by applicants or rejected for not meeting the (complex) eligibility criteria established at the start of the programme under the last Administration. A list of projects is given in the attached table.<\/p>

All spending of taxpayers\u2019 money must ensure value for money: and money should not be spent on poor quality projects just for the sake of it. Spending must also comply with complex and bureaucratic EU rules, or else risk \u201cfinancial corrections\u201d down the line. We continue to have concerns over the bureaucratic and time consuming nature of the processes involved in the programme, as a consequence of rules imposed by the European Commission.<\/p>

<\/p>

<\/p>

<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4043", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kris Hopkins"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Keighley"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kris Hopkins"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/78384/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "206274 Umunna - Table.xlsx"} , "title" : "ERDF Projects"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-23T16:00:27.7890056Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-07-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "EU Grants and Loans"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which bids in each region have been (a) accepted and (b) rejected under the European Regional Development Fund since May 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4128", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chuka Umunna"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Streatham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Chuka Umunna"} ], "uin" : "206274"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/78389", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/78389/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

<\/p>

We do not specifically hold information on costs of replies to hon. Members, however we can estimate a cost based on use of paper, envelopes, postage and ink cartridges on annual enquiries ranging between 10,000 \u2013 12,000, of which 95% are postal replies. The cost ranges between £6,500 and £7,500 depending on reply volume per annum.<\/p>

<\/p>

<\/p>

<\/p>

Most correspondence from hon. Members continues to be received as letters and is replied to in the same format. Ministers do, however, reply by email when they consider it appropriate to do so.<\/p>

<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4043", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kris Hopkins"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Keighley"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kris Hopkins"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-08-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-08-21T12:09:32.811762Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-07-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Correspondence"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the annual cost to his Department of (a) stationery and (b) postage incurred when sending a ministerial reply to hon. Members; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3929", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Simon Kirby"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brighton, Kemptown"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Simon Kirby"} ], "uin" : "206143"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 3, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }