§ Mr. Robin F. Cookasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the criteria by which applications for urban aid grant are assessed; and which areas will be given favourable consideration in assessing applications for urban aid grant.
§ Mr. Hugh D. Brown:Applications are considered in relation to the following guidelines:
- (a) projects should be for and normally in deprived areas or areas at risk.
- (b) projects should be new ones and offering practical and tangible results.
- (c) projects which encourage and stimulate local initiatives are favoured.
- (d) schemes should be cost effective.
- (e) key projects in comprehensive schemes of rehabilitation drawn up jointly by the appropriate region and district authorities are given priority where they cannot be incorporated at the appropriate time within main programmes.
- (f) research projects are not excluded in principle; but are not normally acceptable unless they are in the nature of field research for innovatory or experimental ideas.
Favourable consideration is given to these areas which, on the basis of available evidence, may be regarded as either multiple deprived or at risk.
§ Mr. Robin F. Cookasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what use is made of census data in assessing the suitability of areas for urban aid grant.
§ Mr. Hugh D. Brown:Census data are taken into account along with such other more up to date information about current circumstances as is available to my Department or to the local authorities.