London Docklands Development Corporation (Hansard, 23 November 1983)

§ 1. Mr. Spearing
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the support given to voluntary organisations by the London Docklands Development Corporation.

§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Sir George Young)
Yes, Sir. The LDDC has given considerable support to the work of voluntary organisations and to other projects benefiting the community. Resources available under the former docklands urban programme are tailing off as existing commitments are completed. I am, therefore, enabling the LDDC to make available additional resources for voluntary projects.

§ Mr. Spearing
I am grateful to the Minister for his reply. Can he be more explicit about the additional resources? Will the grants which the LDDC may be able to make be in addition to the notional 1 per cent. limit and enable the projects started at the time of the docklands joint committee to continue?

§ Sir George Young
These are additional resources and grants will be available to a new limit of £750,000 each year for voluntary sector funding. In addition, the LDDC can top that up from a pool of receipts.
We would normally expect the local authorities to take the time-expired projects on board. The LDDC will consider fresh applications where time-expired projects which contribute to regeneration cannot be funded by the usual means.

§ Mr. Chapman
Will my hon. Friend confirm that the LDDC does consult, and is willing to consult and meet, any tenants' organisation that represents part of the urban development corporation, as well as many local businesses and individuals? If there is obstruction to consultation and liaison, it comes from the heavy-handed and non-supportive role of the GLC in this vital area which we all wish to see regenerated in the interests of the metropolis as a whole.

§ Sir George Young
My hon. Friend is right. The LDDC makes every effort to consult local opinion. I commend to hon. Members the newsletter which it publishes regularly reporting on progress. Communication is not helped by the dogmatic refusal of Southwark borough council and the GLC to have any contact whatever with the LDDC. Such a ridiculous state of affairs should be brought to an end.

§ Mr. Simon Hughes
I accept and endorse the Minister's criticism of Southwark borough council, but does he agree that one way of improving the LDDC's communications would be to open the meetings of its board to the public, especially when they involve matters such as the grants with which we have been dealing today?

§ Sir George Young
No.

§ Mr. Leighton
Will the Minister pay tribute to the numerous volunteers who work for the 30 or so organisations that strive to make life more tolerable in the deprived inner city areas of east London? Does he recognise the impossibility of asking local authorities, in their straitened financial circumstances, to take on that burden? Will he agree not to wash his hands of these voluntary organisations and recognise his Department's responsibility for them? Will he at least agree today to meet a deputation to discuss the problems?

§ Sir George Young
I should be prepared to meet representatives of the voluntary organisations, but, as the LDDC has agreed a grant of £20,000 to the forum, I hope that such a meeting will be unnecessary. I endorse what the hon. Gentleman said about the valuable work performed by the voluntary organisations, and that is why the LDDC funds 183 community and voluntary sector projects through a host of separate organisations.