§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will hold a public inquiry into the application by a consortium of private developers to demolish historic buildings in Bath including long-established centres for the treatment of rheumatism and arthritis.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneMy right hon. Friend is at present considering whether the listed building application should be called in for his decision and a public local inquiry held. He is not in a position to give an answer at this stage.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to raise funds from the European Community to help to preserve the existing historic buildings and facilities in Bath which a consortium of private developers are seeking to demolish.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneThe Secretary of State cannot seek grant-aid from the European regional development fund since EC regulations state that aid may only be given to projects within the member states' national priority areas; in England these are the assisted areas, and Bath does not fall within such an area. The EC cultural fund assists projects aimed at the restoration of historic houses and town centres, but applications for aid are not the responsibility of any United Kingdom central Government Department and should be sent directly to the Commission in Brussels by the individual or organisation concerned.