§ Mr. DevlinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he plans to make an announcement about proposals for further safer cities projects.
§ Sir George YoungI am pleased to announce that, as part of our undertaking to meet existing commitments to programmes now coming within the single regeneration budget, we propose to set up another 20 safer cities projects in this financial year.
The areas invited to participate in the next wave are:
- Bolton
- Bournemouth
- Brighton
- Camden
- Easington
- Great Grimsby
- Hackney
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Lincoln
- Liverpool
- Newham
- Norwich
- Oxford
- Portsmouth
- Sandwell
- Scunthorpe
- Southwark
- Wansbeck
- Westminster
- York
Each of these areas has above average rates of recorded crime and significant evidence of deprivation.
Subject to confirmation of support for a project from each of the key local agencies—local authorities, police and probation service—we shall shortly seek tenders for their management from organisations with experience in crime prevention and project management.
In addition to the running costs being met by the Department of the Environment, each project will have access to grant funding of up to £100,000 a year, for three years, to support local crime prevention and community safety initiatives.
We expect the projects to be set up towards the end of 1994.
Funding for these projects represents an existing commitment under the SRB, and is additional to resources set aside for initiatives starting in 1995–96, approved in accordance with the bidding guidance issued on 14 April 1994, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.