HC Deb 08 May 1975 vol 891 cc1603-4
11. Mr. Steen

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much in total has been spent on financing the Home Office's Community Development Project since it was launched in 1968; and how much each CDP project currently running has cost since its inception, in each area.

Mr. Alexander W. Lyon

It is estimated that the total cost by 31st March 1975 was slightly in excess of £2.4 million. I am arranging for the detailed information about individual local projects to be circulated in the Official Report.

Mr. Steen

Is the Minister of State aware that his Department is failing to make good use of the valuable knowledge and experience accumulating throughout the country in community development projects through the lack of central organisation in Government? Will he take steps to set up the necessary central organisation so that field projects may have direct access to Government Departments and officials, and so that real grassroots feelings can be known in Whitehall?

Mr. Lyon

I am not aware of the assertion in the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question, because it is not true. We take notice of what comes out of these CDP programmes, and we have a central organisation for processing the research.

Mr. Charles Morrison

Will the hon. Gentleman say what he has learned so far from the evidence which has been forthcoming from community development projects? Does he not agree that such evidence as there is leads him to believe that still greater emphasis is needed on such projects?

Mr. Lyon

The amount of information that we have accumulated is far too great to give in answer to a supplementary question. However, we are making the information the basis of much of our current thinking in developing an urban deprivation programme.

Following is the information:

BREAK-DOWN OF EXPENDITURE BY PRODUCTS (1)
Project £
Batley 219,933
Birmingham 103,896
Coventry 319,144
Cumbria 156,705
Liverpool 334,057
Newcastle 111,222
Newham 88,497
North Tyneside 133,289
Oldham 103,774
Paisley 109,100 (2)
Southwark 254,317
Upper Afan 306,937
Other (central) expenditure 160,211
Total 2,401,082
Footnotes:
(1) Expenditure for 1974–75 is estimated.
(2) Expenditure as at 15th May 1975.