§ Ms. Harmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure that a substantially greater part of the traditional urban programme allocation for 1984–85 is allocated to urban areas rather than rural areas.
§ Sir George YoungAs in previous years, resources will be allocated following consideration of the individual bids required in the context of the special social need in the urban areas they are designed to serve.
§ Ms. Harmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will agree to meet representatives from the voluntary sector in Southwark to discuss future funding under the traditional urban programme.
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§ Sir George YoungI have no plans to do so. Officials in my Department have already had a number of meetings with representatives of the voluntary sector in Southwark in recent months in order to help in the working up of suitable projects for urban programme support and to ease the problems of projects which have received approval.
§ Ms. Harmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make provision to enable local authorities in inner city areas to provide grants for voluntary and self-help projects which are time-expired under the urban programme and for which his Department decides not to resume direct funding.
§ Sir George YoungNo.
§ Ms. Harmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure that funding for new and renewed projects under circular 24, under the traditional urban programme, is not at a lower level in real terms than for new projects and renewals under circular 23.
§ Sir George YoungI expect details of the distribution between the different categories of urban programme expenditure to be announced within the next few weeks.
§ Ms. Harmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in the last six weeks from organisations and individuals concerned about the Government's proposals on future funding under the urban programme.
§ Sir George YoungThe Department has received about 30 letters in similar terms, most of them as a result of the efforts of the Southwark council of voluntary services. They comment on the false speculation in theFinancial Times of 19 September that the urban programme was about to be halved.