§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future financial support from his Department for disabled persons and disability groups through the Access Committee for England. [40557]
§ Mr. BoatengIt is open to the Access Committee for England (ACE) to apply for funding for projects under the general section 64 grant scheme administered by the Department for the financial year 1999–2000 onwards. Each project application will be considered carefully in the light of its likely furtherance of the Department's objectives, other applications received and the amount of money available. The decision was taken in March this year, following an inter-departmental review, not to renew core funding for ACE from the current financial year (1998–99). This was in line with our policy of time-limiting core grants of which all voluntary organisations receiving support from the Department under section 64 have been made aware. It is, therefore, unlikely that any future application for core funding from ACE would be successful.