§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, following the success in reducing child abuse of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's special units that are supported by Government grants, if he will consider making such facilities more generally available than the present seven scattered centres.
§ Sir George YoungI fully recognise the valuable work of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's special units, but the extension of this provision is a matter for the NSPCC and the local authorities. Central Government support for voluntary activity is normally restricted to assistance with the headquarters costs of national bodies. Exceptionally, central grants are made to help launch local innovatory projects that have potential for wider application, in the expectation that their continuation and expansion will be funded from local sources if they are successful. On this 205W basis, the Department has been contributing since 1975 to the running costs of three of the NSPCC's units, two of which have now secured additional local authority funding and to not require further support from the Department.