§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a comprehensive statement on the operation of urban regeneration grants giving details of numbers approved, paid, and submitted in each region and the proportion the grant is of the projects approved.
§ Mr. TrippierUrban regeneration grant is one of the measures which the Government have introduced in order to encourage new private investment in cities and towns which have been affected by the loss of employment in traditional industries and to bring derelict or unoccupied 389W land or buildings in these areas back into use. URG is paid direct to developers with proposals for the reclamation and redevelopment of large urban sites of 20 acres or more or for the refurbishment of very large buildings or groups of buildings of 250,000 sq ft of floor space or more. Priority will be given to projects which give the best prospects of private sector investment, and minimise the net outlay by the public sector, in those areas which already have priority under the Government's urban programme. I am greatly encouraged by the amount of interest in URG since the scheme was launched in April. A number of sites, located mainly in the midlands and the north, have been drawn to the Department's attention as possible candidates for URG and I hope it will not be too long before I am able to announce the first offers of assistance.
In the meantime, I would urge private sector developers and property owners with sites which they consider may fit the criteria for URG to get in touch with my Department, from where more detailed guidance can be obtained.