§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of the need to grow more food at home, he will take steps to encourage the more extensive cultivation of allotments throughout the United Kingdom.
§ Sir A. Broughtonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he is giving to local authorities in urban areas to increase the number of allotment 95W holders in order to produce more homegrown vegetables and fruit.
§ Mr. Denis HowellI would refer the hon. Member and my hon. Friend to the White Paper on Sport and Recreation (Cmnd. 6200) issued in August 1975 in which local authorities were encouraged to maintain their efforts to meet the demand for allotments. This demand has increased sharply over the past two or three years and continues to rise. District councils and parish authorities have a statutory duty to provide allotments, and I have no reason to doubt that they are doing so to the extent that suitable land is
Needs Element (initial grant only) Resources Element 1974–75 £m 1975–76 £m 1976–77 £m 1974–75 £m 1975–76 £m 1976–77 £m Bolton … 10.3 15.9 21.4 7.4 11.7 * Bury … 5.8 8.0 10.4 5.1 8.1 * Manchester … 32.4 45.2 58.0 6.0 14.2 * Oldham … 8.7 12.4 16.5 7.3 12.0 * Rochdale … 8.1 12.5 16.6 7.4 12.9 * Salford … 12.3 18.3 24.8 6.2 11.0 * Stockport … 10.8 15.7 19.5 5.3 9.1 * Thameside … 7.9 12.4 16.4 7.9 12.2 * Trafford … 8.5 13.2 17.0 Nil 2.4 * Wigan … 11.5 17.4 22.1 10.2 16.4 * * Not yet known. For the 1976–77 resources grant, the amounts payable will depend on the rates levied by each district; at this stage this information is not available.
The amounts in the table take no account of the further sums paid to the districts following the Increase Orders for 1974–75 and 1975–76.
The domestic element grants in 1974–75 and 1975–76 were based on the prescribed rate relief figures of 13p and 18½p respectively. The domestic rate relief for 1976–77 will remain at 18½p in the £.