§ Mr. LetwinTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for South-West Bedfordshire of 25 January,Official Report, columns 1185–86W, on Government funding of the voluntary sector, if she will list the grant schemes and other mechanisms by which (a) her Department, (b) the Countryside Agency and (c) English Nature distribute funding to voluntary sector organisations. [51402]
§ Alun Michael[holding answer 19 April 2002]: There are various grant schemes and spending programmes through which DEFRA, the Countryside Agency and English Nature provide funding to organisations in the voluntary and community sector.
DEFRA makes funding available to the voluntary and community sector through the Wildlife and Countryside Research Programme, the Environmental Action Fund and the Rural Stress Action Plan. Funding is also made available directly to the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, ENCAMS and National Energy Action.
The Countryside Agency has a variety of funding streams to which voluntary sector organisations and other groups are eligible to apply, flowing from its work on rural services (including community development and social exclusion), Rural Housing Enablers, market towns, its Vital Villages programme (including Community Services Grant and Rural Transport Partnership), the Wider Welcome scheme (including national trails maintenance and rights of way work), and the Walking Your Way To Health initiative.
English Nature distributes funding to voluntary sector organisations through the Reserves Enhancement Scheme, Volunteer Action Grants, Section 35 National Nature Reserve (NNR) Capital Grants Scheme, Land Purchase Grants and the Biodiversity Grant Scheme.