§ Mr. Allenasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster why the inner city task forces have not spent up to their full annual budgets.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeNo single task force has been given a specific annual budget. The eight original task forces committed around £5 million out of their own funds on local projects of benefit to their areas in 1986–87. This spending generated the commitment of substantial additional funds from other Government, public sector and private sector sources. Five million pounds is around 70 per cent. of the maximum task force funds available for project expenditure in that year. It took time to set the task forces up and it also took time to find useful local projects to support. Most task forces did not become fully operational until the early summer of 1986. The rate of spending in future either directly out of task force funds or out of other Government programmes in task force areas will depend on the response of local business and residents to our efforts to encourage worthwhile projects.