§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, to the latest convenient date, the urban development grant applications approved by his Department; if he will also list the outstanding applications for urban development grants in England, together with the date when these applications were lodged by the relevant local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the progress of the urban development grants scheme.
§ Sir George YoungMy Department has so far given approval to 110 projects for urban development grant. The estimated total cost of these projects, which may not all proceed, are more than £302 million of which some £64 million would be met by urban development grant and other public funds. 13 other offers of grant are not being taken up. I am arranging for a list of approved projects to be placed in the Library.
Of the 355 applications so far submitted for urban development grant, 38 are currently before the Department, of which 27 were submitted more than three months ago. Not all of these are supported by the information necessary for a decision to be reached. It is not our practice to provide details of individual applications other than those approved for grant.
I am encouraged by the success of urban development grant in levering private sector investment into inner urban areas and by the wide range of different types of schemes put forward.