§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give a breakdown of the spending so far on his rural initiative.
§ Sir Wyn RobertsFull expenditure details for work undertaken in 1991–92 under the rural initiative are not yet available. Allocations for 1991–92 under the rural initiative comprised: an increase of £6 million to £32 million in Housing for Wales' support for housing in rural areas; an increase in provision from £1 million to £3 million in reserve to assist local authorities with rural housing, supplemented by an additional in-year allocation of £4.5 million.
These allocations, together with core and other allocations to local authorities will mean that total investment in rural housing is expected to be over £85 million.
In addition to the £20 million Welsh Development Agency expenditure in support of mainstream activities in rural areas, a further £5 million was allocated to the agency for specific measures in rural areas and related core activities.
Funding totalled £1.2 million under the projects of regional or national importance—PRNI—scheme, for leisure and sports centre development at Rhayader and Llandrindod Wells; and £5 million was allocated to support projects put forward by local authorities likely to be of most benefit to rural communities.
Allocations for 1992–93 under the initiative are £35 million for Housing for Wales for rural housing; £4 million for local authorities from the rural housing reserve; £6 million for local authorities from other central reserves which will benefit rural areas. This, together with the £4 million for local authority rural housing and £2 million of the Housing for Wales provision, makes up the £12 million on top of core allocations announced by the Secretary of State in December 1991.
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These allocations, together with core allocations to local authorities are expected to bring total investment in rural housing to over £112 million.
There has been an increase of £3 million in funding of the Countryside Council for Wales, to £17 million. Some £0.5 million of this has been provided to develop a new pilot scheme, "Tir Cymen", for management of rural landscapes and habitats.
Some £400,000 has been directed by the Wales tourist board to new rural tourism marketing and project programmes.
667WThe Welsh Development Agency's expenditure in rural areas will increase by £7.5 million to £32.5 million.
There will also be a £6 million programme of local authority capital projects designed specifically for the benefit of rural communities.
This package is in addition to the extra £2.2 million provision for the Development Board for Rural Wales, announced in December 1991; and to the extra £1.4 million for the three Welsh national parks, also announced in December 1991.