§ Mr Dubsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much money has been made available in 1982–83 under the "Opportunities for Volunteers" scheme; and whether any of it has been given to local victim support schemes.
§ Mr. NewtonOf the £4 million which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced on 27 July 1981,—[Vol 9, c.836]—would be made available in 1982–83, the estimate provision for England is £3.3 million. The administration of the scheme is being handled by a network of 16 national voluntary organisations acting as agents and the Department will not receive detailed information concerning the individual local projects and organisations receiving grants, although arrangements have been made to monitor the scheme as a whole. The returns we have received from the agents do not so far show any grants have been made to a local victim support scheme.
The provision for this special new scheme is additional to the substantial sums which the Department makes available to voluntary organisations under existing arrangements including a grant for the National Association of Victim Support Schemes.