HC Deb 26 April 1977 vol 930 cc288-9W
Mr. Raison

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the projected public expenditure consequences of his statements on inner cities and new towns, respectively, over the next five years.

Mr. Shore

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 7th April 1977; Vol. 929, c. 645–6], gave the following information:

As I said in my statement to the House on 6th April, we intend to increase the recast urban programme from the present level of under £30 million to £125 million a year in 1979–80. I hope it will be possible to increase it further in later years. As launching aid, the Chancellor has announced an extra sum for construction works in certain inner cities of which over £80 million will be available in England to be spent over the next two years. Furthermore, we shall give a new priority in the main policies and programmes of Government so that they contribute to a better life in the inner cities. This expenditure will be contained within the existing totals for public expenditure.

In the proposals which I presented to the House on 5th April I indicated that there would be savings in the new towns programmes from about 1979–80 onwards. It will not be possible to quantify the full extent of the savings until the consultations I referred to in my statement have been completed.

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