HC Deb 25 March 1985 vol 76 cc7-8
6. Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the value of grants from his Department to voluntary organisations in each of the last three years, at constant prices.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. Wyn Roberts)

Grants paid to voluntary organisations in the current financial year total about £8.6 million. The amounts for the previous two years, adjusted to 1984–85 price levels, are £8 million in 1983–84 and £6.8 million in 1982–83.

Mr. Knox

I welcome that encouragement to voluntary organisations. What is the spread of the grants?

Mr. Roberts

About 90 bodies are receiving grants this year. They are in four main areas: the personal social services, to which we give £1.7 million; further education and adult education, £3.3 million; voluntary education, £1.2 million; and Welsh language bodies, £1 million.

Mr. Meadowcroft

If the Secretary of State wishes to develop genuine collaboration between statutory and voluntary organisations, will the hon. Gentleman urge him to examine the problems caused by year-on-year funding and give more security of grant-aid over a number of years to assist with recruitment patterns and in developing proper services?

Mr. Roberts

We are greatly concerned with the problem to which the hon. Gentleman refers and, certainly in Wales, we take care over joint funding programmes.

Sir Anthony Meyer

Is my hon. Friend aware of the tremendous efforts that are made in my constituency to raise funds by voluntary means for the National Eisteddfod, which is to be held in Rhyll this summer? Will he make a statement about his Department's contribution towards that?

Mr. Roberts

I am happy to tell my hon. Friend that the National Eisteddfod next year will receive £232,000 from the Welsh Office alone. That is £12,000 more than the combined total of the Welsh Office and the Welsh Arts Council grant this year. As a result of concentrating the funding in the Welsh Office, the Eisteddfod loses nothing and the Welsh Arts Council gains from the Arts Council of Great Britain.

Mr. D. E. Thomas

Before the Under-Secretary gets carried away with his propaganda exercise about the National Eisteddfod, will he turn his attention to the much more important issue of the funding of Welsh Women's Aid? What representations has he received recently from that organisation about the level of funding? Will he confirm that the present level of funding is wholly inadequate for Welsh Women's Aid to meet the increasing incidence of personal relationship breakdowns caused by unemployment?

Mr. Roberts

Bids by Welsh Women's Aid for funding are dealt with in precisely the same way as other bids for funding. There is, of course, competition, but I am sure that the Welsh Women's Aid movement gets it proper deserts.

Mr. Roy Hughes

Amid all the largesse that is allegedly being distributed, will the Minister bear in mind that the town of Caldicot in the county of Gwent has to organise a dance to keep its citizens advice bureau in existence? Will he bear in mind the terrible social problems in the town, particularly the mass unemployment caused by the Government's economic policies? Will he see that such bodies are adequately funded?

Mr. Roberts

I have no objection to—indeed, would encourage — voluntary bodies doing all that they possibly can to increase their funding. The Government add to the funds which they are able to collect for themselves. We have shown clearly, by the increase in funding provided to voluntary bodies, that we fully appreciate the work that they do and wish to encourage them to do more.