Rural White Paper (Hansard, 2 May 2002)

§ Mr. Breed
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2002,Official Report, column 355W, on the Rural White Paper, what proportion of announced funds and schemes was spent, broken down by category, during 2001–02. [53780]

§ Alun Michael
I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 6 February 2002,Official Report, column 991W, which set out details of the latest available information on expenditure broken down by category.
Since then I can report the following:
220 application forms have been issued in respect of the £2 million Government fund to support volunteer and community initiatives to maintain or reopen post office facilities in rural areas. 44 applications worth £375,000 have been approved and the actual amount paid out from September 2001, when the scheme came into operation, to 31 March 2002 is £79,000.
From April 2001 up to the end of the third quarter, December 2001 Cornwall, Devon, Durham and Lincolnshire partnerships have reported the creation of 8,588 child care places broken down as follows: Durham—2,187, Devon—2,484, Cornwall—2,310, Lincolnshire1,607. Figures up to April 2002 are not yet available.
The final figures for expenditure in 2001–02 on Rural Bus Subsidy Grant and Rural Bus Challenge are £41.4 million and £11.2 million respectively, a total of £52.6 million.
943W
The total outturn for expenditure on the new countryside agency's Vital Villages Grant schemes until 31 March 2002 is: Community Services Grant—£1.7 million, Parish Plans Fund—099,000, Parish Transport Fund—£354,000. In addition grants worth £5.9 million have been approved under the Rural Transport Partnership fund.

§ Mr. Breed
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place the study(a) to identify the key drivers of economic development and social exclusion in rural areas and (b) into rural statistics relating to the Rural White Paper in the Library. [53887]

§ Alun Michael
Both studies have attracted a wide level of interest. Consultation on the economic study of rural areas report is now expected to be complete by early next month. We plan to publish both reports and to place copies in the Library as soon as possible.