§ Mr. Wheelerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he wishes to make a statement about the funding after the abolition of the Greater London Council of voluntary organisations concerned with the single homeless and currently funded by that council.
§ Sir George YoungMy right hon. Friend announced on 11 April at col. 406–7 our decision that the main abolition legislation should include provision for a statutory basis for the collective funding by London boroughs and the Common council of voluntary bodies serving London as a whole or an area wider than that of individual authorities.
I have recently received a letter from the London Boroughs Association which records the associations's decision to support the proposal that these arrangements should, in principle, apply to projects forming part of the programme to replace the hostels previously owned by Rowton Hotels PLC. The associationa also envisages that the great majority of the projects now funded by the GLC and directly providing services for the single homeless will be recommended for grants under those arrangements; individual projects are to be assessed during the current year.
I welcome this clear willingness by the members of the LBA to support the view that the London boroughs should collectively assume responsibility for the funding of worthwhile voluntary activity in the housing field. This offers great reassurance to those organisations concerned about the arrangements for London-wide grants once the GLC is abolished. I am placing a copy of the association's letter in the Library of the House.