§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money is currently planned to be spent on the regeneration of coalfield communities in Wales. [62619]
§ Mr. HainThe needs of deprived areas, which include communities within former coalfields, of the South Wales Valleys and North East Wales, are taken into account in the various spending programmes of the Welsh Office. Specific programmes, directed to these areas to tackle social, economic and environmental regeneration, include nearly £30 million in 1998–99 under Welsh Challenge and the Strategic Development Scheme; £337,000 in 1998–2000 on the 4 of the 8 approved "People in Communities" pilots in these areas aimed at tackling; and nearly £20 million by the WDA on reclaiming 370 hectares of land, the majority of which is in former coal mining areas. An estimated £10 million of New Deal funding for Wales is expected to be spent in the Employment Service Districts covering Welsh coalfields areas in 1998–99.
The share for Wales of the recently announced endowment in lieu of the £10 million surplus from the miners' pension fund will be used to fund further projects in former coalmining areas. The South Wales Valleys are part of the area of Wales which is set to gain Objective 1 status, bringing access to a substantial package of European aid.