§ 2.41 p.m.
§ Baroness Elliot of HarwoodMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name of the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government how many local authorities are now receiving special assistance in recognition of the scale of the urban problems and what progress has been made under the Urban Development Grant Scheme.
§ Lord SkelmersdaleMy Lords, about 300 local authorities throughout the United Kingdom receive assistance under the Government's urban programmes which are aimed at the alleviation of urban problems. The bulk of the resources—which stands at a record £400 million for 1983–84—is concentrated in the 62 districts designated under the Inner Urban Areas Act 1978.
Under the Urban Development Grant schemes in England and Wales and the analogous Local Enterprise Grants for Urban Projects scheme in Scotland, my right honourable friends have so far approved 120 projects involving total investment in the inner cities and urban areas of £225 million. These projects represent a highly effective use of public resources with only £43 million of central and local government money leading to £182 million of additional private investment.
§ Baroness Elliot of HarwoodMy Lords, I should like to thank my noble friend for that extremely satisfactory Answer. I hope very much that this will be well appreciated when it comes to the general election because certainly one of the best things that have happened is the policy of the urban development grant. I thank my noble friend very much for this information.
§ Lord SkelmersdaleMy Lords, I am very grateful to my noble friend. In my book, the function of Government is first, to identify the problem, and secondly, to do something about it. This we have done.