§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the results to date of the campaign Action for Cities, launched in March 1988.
§ Mr. KeyGood progress has been made in regenerating our inner cities under the Action for Cities initiative, with Government expenditure input of over £10 billion since 1988. In partnership with the private sector, substantial investment has taken place in new factories, shopping centres, roads and other infrastructure and in treating derelict land, thus improving the quality of life for people in our inner cities and creating important new employment and training opportunities. Long-term unemployment in the inner cities has nearly halved since March 1988.
The Government, through the city action teams and inner city task forces, are continuing to work with local government, the private and voluntary sectors and with local people to build on that success.