§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance she is planning to give to local authorities to make memorials in cemeteries safe. [31270]
§ Dr. Whitehead[holding answer 29 January 2002]: I have been asked to reply.
The Local Government Finance Settlement 2002–03 provides funds for local authorities' responsibilities in this area. Provision for funding on environmental, protective and cultural services has increased, on a like for like basis, by £360 million or 4.2 per cent. Local authorities are, of course, responsible for decisions on their own spending priorities, bearing in mind their statutory responsibilities and the wishes of their electorate.
We are looking, with local government, at pressures on local authorities in the context of Spending Review 2002, and are aware that the Local Government Association (LGA) have highlighted the additional cost of making 601W memorials in cemeteries safe. We will be looking closely at the case made by the LGA, having regard to the Government's position on funding the renovation of unsafe memorials, as set out in our response to the Environment Select Committee report on cemeteries (Reference CM Paper 5281).