§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 20 April 2000,Official Report. column 612W, on departmental initiatives, if he will list the amounts originally budgeted for in (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–2000, stating for each year what funds budgeted for were not spent, and if they were carried forward. [124413]
§ Ms Beverley HughesThe budgets and underspend of the regeneration initiatives for which my Department is responsible are listed in the tables.
Under an agreement with the European Commission, the Department carries forward underspend on the European Regional Development Fund programmes from year to year. Where the carry forward of unspent resources by the Department has been permitted under the Treasury's End Year Flexibility arrangements for the other regeneration programmes, it has been for the Secretary of State to determine to which departmental programmes such 246W resources should be allocated, and to obtain Treasury agreement and parliamentary authority in Supplementary Estimates for increases on the Department's Votes. Entitlements to end year flexibility to be carried into 2000–01 have yet to be agreed.
Holistic regeneration programmes £ million 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 Single Regeneration Budget: Budget 481.6 567.3 707.6 Underspend 22.8 6.4 15.3 New Deal for Communities: Budget 0 12.5 100.0 Underspend 0 12.3 51.5 The budget for New Deal for the Communities was reprofiled to reflect the pattern of actual spend which has emerged from the implementation of this innovatory programme which places communities at the heart of regenerating their neighbourhoods.
Other regeneration initiatives £ million 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 European Regional Development Fund: Budget 194.8 220.0 266.9 Underspend 124.1 176.6 245.9 The underspend figures for the European Regional Development Fund are cumulative from 1994. They cover programmes which ran from 1994 to 1999 for which expenditure is expected to continue until 2002–03.
£ million 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 Coalfields Regeneration Trust Budget 0 17.7 10.0 Underspend 0 17.7 9.0 The budget for the Coalfields Regeneration Trust is being reprofiled to reflect the launch date of September 1999.