§ Mr. Allan StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made by the partnerships in taking forward the Government's initiative in the four peripheral estates referred to in his statement on 29 March,Official Report, column 903.
§ Mr. RifkindPartnerships have been established in each of the four estates chosen under the initiative. Work on the production of strategies for the regeneration of each estate is now under way. In order to further the work of the partnerships, I propose to make provision of £300,000 this year to pump-prime desirable local projects, to give information about the initiative to residents in the four estates, and to meet the costs of studies which will enable the strategies to be monitored and evaluated. Parliamentary approval to these payments will be sought 221W in a Supplementary Supply Estimate for the new towns and the urban programme, Scotland Vote (XVI 9). Pending its approval, expenditure estimated at £150,000 is being met by a repayable advance already issued from the contingencies fund. For future years, further funding will be sought in the normal course of Supply Estimates.