Urban Simulation Games (Hansard, 12 November 1980)

§ 13. Mr. Bevan
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment for what purpose the urban simulation games financed by his Department have been used; and if he will make a statement.

§ 16. Mr. Anthony Grant
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment for what purpose the urban simulation games operated by his Department have been used; and if he will make a statement.

§ The Minister for Local Government and Environmental Services (Mr. Tom King)
I am informed that an urban simulation game was commissioned by my Department during the last Administration. I understand that it was used at that time by officials as an aid in formulating policy for establishing inner city partnerships.

§ Mr. Bevan
While I appreciate the Government's non-responsibility for spending the £9,000 for the games, I should be obliged if I could have details of what kind of games they were. We have had difficulty enough over the past year. I should also like to know whether the games are still being played, and if so, where? Are they being played only by the civil servants.

§ Mr. King
I understand that the whistle was blown some time before the present Government came into office. Although they may seem the subject of some hilarity, such games are not an unknown management tool when trying to simulate circumstances in which to identify the best policies for inner city partnerships. That is why the previous Government set them up. We have no proposals to introduce any further such games.

§ Mr. Grant
Precisely who is responsible for all this tomfoolery? What has been learnt from these expensive games? Would it not be much more appropriate to send Monopoly sets to Socialist councils.

§ Mr. King
My hon. Friend's choice of words at the beginning of his supplementary question was somewhat unfortunate, because the matter has nothing to do with me. My hon. Friend will have to direct the question to any Labour right hon. or hon. Member who can tell us how the games influenced changes of policy. That is now a closely guarded secret of the previous Government, details of which I imagine will appear in about 30 years, or perhaps in a diary published earlier.

§ Mr. Foulkes
Will not the Minister agree that it was hypocritical of him to launch publicly the Council of Europe urban renaissance programme in this country when all his policies are designed 471 for urban decline rather than urban renaissance?

§ Mr. King
That is the most misleading and damaging statement that could possibly be made. The hon. Gentleman came to the colloquy representatives of the Council of Europe. Every single Minister from the countries represented recognised the tremendous contribution that could be made by community involvement. The issue of the capital funding, while significant, is far from being the only issue. To say to people, at a time of economic restraint, that there is no hope for them in community action and interest in improving their areas is a disgraceful comment.

§ Mr. Gummer
Will my hon. Friend confirm to the House that there is no need to simulate rural games to know that the most grave damage has been done to housing in rural areas by the refusal of the Labour Party to support the proposals for shorthold that would do more to alleviate homelessness in my constituency than anything else that has been proposed?

§ Mr. King
At the risk of trespassing on my right hon. Friend's territory, I would confirm, from my own observations, that what my hon. Friend says is true. The failure of the Opposition to support this measure will contribute—this is confirmed by observations in my own constituency—to an increase in homelessness.