HC Deb 23 February 1983 vol 37 cc922-3
13. Mr. Proctor

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what public funds were given to the Sports Council in 1982–83 and 1981–82; and what is his estimate of the sums available in 1983–84.

The Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Neil Macfarlane)

In 1981–82 the Sports Council grant-in-aid was £21,032,000. For the current financial year it is £28,002,000. That figure includes £1 million for Merseyside and two supplementary grants totalling £4.25 million.

The Sports Council's grant-in-aid for 1983–84, subject to parliamentary approval, will be £27,030,000, which includes a further £1 million for Merseyside.

Mr. Proctor

Does my hon. Friend agree that it is rather incongruous, when, rightly, we put a microscope on all areas of public expenditure, that the Sports Council deems it right to give £90,000 by way of grant to the David Lloyd regional tennis centre, which is no doubt a profitable and flourishing tennis club? Does my hon. Friend think it right to have a thorough review of the Sports Council's activity and the accountability of the Sports Council to the Minister for its expenditure of these massive sums of public money?

Mr. Macfarlane

The Sports Council is an independent body and is obliged to refer to my Department only when it is anticipating providing capital of more than £200,000. We look closely at these figures, but the Sports Council is an independent body. I do not accept that this centre will be the success that my hon. Friend thinks it will be and, in that a large amount of private money is invested in it, I can only hope that it will do much to restore tennis in this country.

Mr. Pavitt

Has the Minister noted the excellent work of the Sports Council in contributing to racial harmony and integration? Has he noticed that, as a result of the work of the Sports Council, Great Britain is receiving a large amount of kudos from events all over the world where Caribbean ethnics and other British citizens are able to gain medals in sports and athletics on behalf of Great Britain?

Mr. Macfarlane

I pay tribute to the success of all our athletes and sportsmen and women. It shows that there is great integration in our cities and counties. I can only hope that it will continue.

Mr. John Carlisle

Despite the tone of the question by my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Mr. Proctor), will my hon. Friend the Minister send the congratulations of the House to Mr. Dick Jeeps and his colleagues on the tremendous amount of work that they have been doing for the unemployed in the inner cities? Will he tell the House that large sums of money from the urban aid programme have gone towards helping the unemployed and providing facilities for them?

Mr. Macfarlane

I willingly do that. I am always anxious to save my Department's money, so I would sooner tell Mr. Jeeps that than send him a telegram. I pay tribute to the work that has been and is being done, which is most important. The first facility for the pound-for-pound scheme on Merseyside opens in Toxteth tomorrow. We have endorsed that with further pound-for-pound schemes in Bristol and the north-east, the details of which I shall announce in due course. The urban aid programme, together with the inner city partnership money and derelict land grant mean that in the last full financial year the better part of £60 million was dispersed towards the inner cities.

Mr. Graham

What part did the Minister play in the enforced resignation of the director general of the Sports Council?

Mr. Macfarlane

I am responsible only for the appointment of the chairman, vice chairman and members of the Sports Council. The appointment and rejection of any persons in the Sports Council is a matter for the chairman, the vice chairman and the council, not for my Department.