§ Mr. AshtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many applications he has blocked from football clubs requesting grants towards all-seater stadiums; whether he will list their names and the amounts of cash involved; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsI have made it clear to the trust that in my view it should continue to pay grant to any club in the present first division of the Football League for works to be completed or under way by the end of this close season. I am not yet in a position to offer support for a change in the Football Trust's resolution of April 1990 to allow premier league clubs, once that league is established, to have access to moneys made available to the trust following the reduction in pool betting duty in 1990. I prefer not to take matters further until I have received satisfactory clarification from the Football Association of the funds likely to be generated by FA-driven initiatives and their split between the premier league and Football League clubs for purposes of implementing the Taylor report.