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EU Regional Policy (EUC Report)

My Lords, this has indeed been an excellent and timely debate, and I thank everyone who has contributed. In particular, I thank the Minister for his summing up, and I welcome the Government’s commitment to the poorer regions of the EU. He made a really excellent speech although I suspect that he might not have chosen to take on in his maiden speech the intricacies of EU financing. However, the speech went very well, I congratulate him and we look forward to many more good speeches. I welcome him again to the House and say how very glad we are to have a man of great distinction, not only in banking and finance, but in the arts, in the ranks of our Ministers. Motion agreed.