Ms Maria Graham:

We have given feedback on each but a lot of work sometimes goes into putting in a competitive bid and, at some point, we exhaust the competitive bidding process. To get that balance, we need to look at it and, for example, decide that area X does not have any projects and that, in fact, we need to work with that authority so it brings them forward and that we give it more support in terms of the type of projects the European Regional Development Fund, ERDF, can fund, rather than having it try to submit something that misses the mark.

Ms Clifford chairs the project appraisal board so she might comment.