§ Mr. Macfarlaneasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department experimental joint sponsorship in Sunderland and Stoke-on-Trent for developing sports and recreation began, what is the cost to the Department of the Environment, and what is the nature of the local arts and local sports interests contribution.
§ Mr. Denis HowellThe invitation to take part in experiments in developing leisure activities, cultural as well as sporting and recreational, was given by my Department jointly with the Department of Education and Science in letters sent to the local authority, arts and sports interests concerned in Sunderland and Stoke-on-Trent on 22nd October 1973. My Department is contributing up to £l00,000 to each of these experiments as their share of the local costs. In addition to regional sponsorship, which on the arts side includes matching financial support from funds provided by the Department of Education and Science, arts and sports interests have been actively involved locally both in steering the experiments and in taking part in their programme of projects.