§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much money has been set aside by his Department since 1981 for grants for projects in deprived inner city areas; and whether he will take steps to encourage inner city councils to submit claims for the £100 million set aside by his Department which has so far not been claimed.
§ Sir George YoungA wide range of programmes sponsored by my Department and by other Departments support projects in deprived inner city areas. The allocations for the urban programme for each of the years 1981–82 to 1985–86 were £215 million, £270 million, £348 million, £348 million and £338 million. It is not the case that £100 million of these resources remains unclaimed. Resources are reallocated during the year within the urban programme itself, and to other programmes within the urban block—derelict land grant and urban development corporations—to achieve the most effective pattern of capital expenditure in the inner cities. £87 million of resources were reallocated in this way over the last three years. Only £14 million, or some 1.5 per cent. of a total resource provision of £1,034 million was unspent over the same period.