§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current situation regarding the future of the London Ecology centre.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[pursuant to his answer Monday 21 October 1985, c. 104]: The London Ecology centre is currently run by an interim charitable trust supported by the Greater London council, pending incorporation of the London Ecology centre trust and its registration by the Charity Commission. My right hon. Friend has given his consent to a GLC grant to support the running costs of the centre up to 31 March 1986.
Following abolition, full responsibility for local authority grants to voluntary bodies in London falls to the boroughs. A collective scheme for funding Londonwide voluntary bodies has already been established under powers we provided in the abolition legislation, and such bodies as the London Ecology centre should by now have approached the grants unit at Richmond. In addition, we are providing transitional grant on £20 million a year of grants expenditure by individual boroughs and districts: once again, groups seeking funding should by now have approached the local authority concerned.