HC Deb 08 February 1978 vol 943 cc1444-6
13. Mr. Eyre

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent the urban aid programme will be used to make good deficiencies in over-large council estates in urban areas.

14 Mr. Steen

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make available partnership money to Liverpool to help tackle the problem of people living on the over-large council estates on the edges of the city, many of which are without basic social or community facilities.

Mr. Guy Barnett

The bulk of additional resources under the urban programme has been allocated to selected inner urban areas, where economic, physical and social problems are most severe and on the greatest scale. But resources will continue to be available for other areas—including council estates on the edges of cities or in suburban areas.

Mr. Eyre

Can the hon. Gentleman say what percentage of the urban aid programme will be taken up by the inner area spending programme? Will he bear in mind that a great number of people have been transferred from inner areas to vast council estates in the outer wards of cities, where they lack community facilities, that therefore there has been a transfer of problems from the inner to the outer areas and that some help must be given to deal with these problems?

Mr. Barnett

I cannot, without notice, give the percentage figure for which the hon. Gentleman asks, but about half the urban programme grants are for inner city partnership areas where problems are on a scale and intensity not found elsewhere. I recognise the sort of problem that the hon. Gentleman has described, as it affects both suburban areas and the estates on the edge of towns. I emphasise that urban programme grants are available for application where particular problems arise. Other funds can be made available by local authorities to deal with some of the problems on large estates.

Mr. Steen

Will the hon. Gentleman explain why, if partnership agreements are for the inner cities, Liverpool, Garston, which is five miles from the city centre, should be included in the Liverpool partnership agreement when there are other areas in far worse order? Has it been included just because it is a marginal Labour seat?

Mr. Barnett

I cannot comment on the decision of the partnership on that point.

Mr. Heffer

Will my hon. Friend explain to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Mr. Steen) that Garston is a very old part of Liverpool and that, like Walton, it has a number of slums? Will he also explain that certain areas, apart from inner city areas, that have council property have peculiar problems and need additional support? What pressure is being applied, particularly on Liverpool City Council, to ensure that council houses that are old and that have outside toilets are modernised, in the interests of local people?

Mr. Barnett

I take my hon. Friend's point. I cannot say what pressure may have been applied, but I shall write to my hon. Friend on that matter.

Mr. Heseltine

Will the hon. Gentleman explain why he is not prepared to comment on the partnership boundaries in Liverpool but the Minister for Housing and Construction is perfectly happy to talk about the partnership boundaries in Birmingham?

Mr. Barnett

The hon. Gentleman should understand that the partnership committees make the agreements in these cases. If he studies the Official Report, he will find that the replies given by my right hon. Friend and myself were of the same nature.