HC Deb 19 July 1972 vol 841 cc137-8W
Mr. Ian Lloyd

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will state the reasons for the delay in making allocations for youth service projects, community centres and village halls in Hampshire, under the revised arrangements for grants to be made to local education authorities for this purpose.

Mrs. Thatcher

Bids from some authorities were received late and in total exceeded the resources available after provision had been made for backlog projects accepted under the old arrangements. In the circumstances the allocation of the resources took some time.

Mr. Ian Lloyd

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will state the reason for the apparent overall reduction in the allocations so far made to Hampshire County Council for youth service projects, community centres and village halls, since the introduction of the revised system of payment on 31st March, 1971.

Mrs. Thatcher

Hampshire local education authority was allocated £31,100 for voluntary youth service projects starting in 1972–73. Comparative figures for 1969–70 and 1970–71 were £23,000 and £8,300, respectively; there was no programme in 1971–72.

The authority was allocated £15,900 for voluntary village halls and community centre projects starting in 1972–73 in addition to which the Department expects to offer grant of £8,700 towards the cost of three Hampshire projects accepted under the old arrangements which will also start in 1972–73. The total of £26,800 compares with grants averaging £23,500 annually over the last three years.