§ 2. Mrs. Alice Mahon (Halifax)What steps he is taking to support heritage initiatives in Calderdale. [149385]
§ The Minister for the Arts (Mr. Alan Howarth)I was delighted to visit Calderdale last September, at the invitation of my hon. Friend, and to see for myself the exceptional regeneration project at Dean Clough. We must all admire what Sir Ernest Hall has achieved there. I also saw the restoration work on the 1855 station building and the Piece hall. The Government are committed to supporting the restoration of historic buildings for present-day use and I congratulate Calderdale on its success in attracting funding to preserve the best of the past.
§ Mrs. MahonI thank my right hon. Friend for the generous help that we have been given in the past. Does he agree that when an area such as Calderdale has a wealth of heritage, a regional strategy is a good way forward? Can we get the heritage lottery fund to speed up its grants? I am thinking, in particular, of the magnificent 15th century Shibden hall, which is falling into disrepair. It would be a tragedy if that continued.
§ Mr. HowarthHalifax and Calderdale have a most remarkable built heritage but, as my hon. Friend says, that provides a huge challenge for a relatively small local authority. My hon. Friend understands that heritage; she loves and champions it, exactly as a Member of Parliament should. In recent years, English Heritage and the heritage lottery fund have given considerable sums—more than £5 million each—to Halifax. I hope that they will continue to respond to my hon. Friend"s advocacy.
I note my hon. Friend"s comments about the great importance of Shibden hall and, indeed, of the park. She is right that we need to take a regional approach. That is exactly why we have established the regional cultural consortiums.