HC Deb 27 May 1976 vol 912 cc355-6W
Mr. Gwynfor Evans

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what amounts were paid in grants for building and maintenance of community centres which were integrated in, or independent of, schools or other educational buildings in each of the years 1955 to 1975 in Wales and England, respectively.

Mr. Gerry Fowler

An analysis of actual grant expenditure in the form requested could not be provided without disproportionate cost, but the allocations of grant to community centres and village halls over the period 1957 to 1975, as published in the Department's Annual Reports, are set out below. Grant allocations for community centres alone cannot be distinguished.

Grants are made by the Department of Education and Science only in respect of capital projects carried out by voluntary organisations: no grant is paid for maintenance costs. Such projects may also be grant-aided by local authorities, and the authorities themselves provide community centres, but their expenditure on these purposes is not known to the Department.

Table: Capital Grant Allocations for Voluntary Community Centre and Village Hall Projects (Source: DES Annual Reports).
Year England Wales
£ £
000s 000s
1957 156 19
1958 160 21
1959 160 16
1960 217 18
1961 278 38
1962 180 20
1963 255 25
1964 614 43
1965 394 5
1966 370 10
1967 435 20
1968 521 33
1969 484 34
1970 590 57
1971*
1972 822 106
1973 1,328 108
1974 1,126 60
1975 1,629 161
* Separate figures are not available for this year.