§ 3.9 p.m.
§ LORD AVEBURYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish annual reports on the Urban Aid Programme.
THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSS)My Lords, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary and my predecessor have from time to time informed both Houses about the progress of the Urban Programme. I shall continue to do so, but I doubt whether a formal Annual Report is called for, With permission, I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT an analysis, by categories of project, of schemes so far approved in England and Wales.
§ Following is the analysis referred to:
| URBAN PROGRAMME—ENGLAND AND WALES | |
| Type of Project | Expenditure Approved, 1968–72 £ |
| Nursery schools | 2,356,000 |
| Nursery classes | 4,526,000 |
| Day nurseries | 3,636,000 |
| Other child care | 2,536,000 |
| Care of the aged | 580,000 |
| Type of Project | Expenditure Approved, 1968–72 £ |
| Housing aid centres and other housing projects | 301,000 |
| Community centres | 985,000 |
| Family planning | 208,000 |
| Advice centres | 328,000 |
| Playgroups | 263,000 |
| Other play schemes | 626,000 |
| Other education | 971,000 |
| Miscellaneous (includes holiday projects) | 3,080,000 |
| Neighbourhood schemes | 300,000 |
| £20,696,000 |
§ LORD AVEBURYMy Lords, I am grateful for that Answer. Is the noble Viscount aware that the schemes approved are not necessarily reflected in the expenditure by local authorities and that, according to information given me by Quest, in 1971 almost £90,000 of the money allocated for housing aid projects under the Urban Aid Programme was not taken up by the local authorities? I am satisfied that this information was carefully checked by the organisation with the authorities concerned. Is the noble Viscount further aware that some of this money intended for the setting up of housing advisory centres has in fact been used for the ordinary purposes of housing departments? Is that a proper expenditure of the money made available under the Urban Aid Programme? How can we get the answers to these questions unless a complete report is published every year?
VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSSMy Lords, if the noble Lord wants specific information about any particular subject he has only to ask for it and I shall be pleased to supply it. I was aware of the article in Quest and I am sorry to say that, despite the careful checking which I have no doubt took place, it is not altogether accurate. I believe that a good deal of the misapprehension has arisen over the somewhat "shorthand" term used when they refer to housing aid centres. The noble Lord might care to look at Annex G to the Home Office Circular issued on May 10, where he will find that the scope of help in the way of housing aid centres is rather wider than appears to have been thought by Quest and in fact accords exactly with what Gateshead and Southwark have 1436 applied for and done. In Quest there seems to be some implication that there was a failure to comply with the terms of the programme. It is a long subject and this is an example of the difficulties one gets into by relying totally on an article like that.
§ LORD AVEBURYMy Lords, I do not want to go into details on that matter because I am sure that it would not be appropriate at Question Time. If I send details to the noble Viscount of information I have in my possession, will he have it examined carefully and let me have some replies?
§ LORD WYNNE-JONESMy Lords, does not the fact that the noble Viscount had to give an elaborate explanation make it even clearer that an annual report ought to be published?
VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSSNo, my Lords. The reason why I am able to give a careful explanation on these particular matters is that The Times was good enough to give a forewarning yesterday of what the noble Lord was going to ask, and I came fully armed with the details to answer him.