§ 3. Mr. Arnold Shawasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will reconsider the upper limits of grant to voluntary community centers; and whether he will make a statement.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science (Miss Joan Lestor)No, Sir. Pressure on funds is such that, if grant limits were increased for large community centre projects, fewer projects overall could be helped.
§ Mr. ShawWould not my hon. Friend agree that this upper limit is what it has been for some long time, and that, in projects of this kind, there are many people who give voluntarily of their time and also widely of their money in order to provide what in effect is further education in the best sense of the word? Therefore, would she not also agree that, unless the upper limit is raised, it will stultify the future of this sort of project?
§ Miss LestorI will bear my hon. Friend's remarks in mind, but without further moneys being available the position is that my right hon. Friend prefers to give some help to as many voluntary projects as possible. If he increased the amount available to certain projects, this would limit what was available to many smaller ones.