HC Deb 14 April 1988 vol 131 cc217-9W
Mr. Pawsey

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list the total amounts paid in grants by Government Departments to voluntary bodies during the financial year 1986–87; and if she will make a statement.

The Prime Minister

The figures are shown in the table. The total amount provided in 1986–87 represents a cash increase of 4.4 per cent. (in real terms 1.1 per cent.) on the level of provision in 1985–86. In the period between 1979–80 and 1986–87 the level of Government support to voluntary bodies has risen by about 221 per cent. (in real terms 92.4 per cent.).

Grants by Government Departments in 1986–87
£
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 171,700
Defence 4,825,762
Education and Science 16,229,314
Employment 33,294,000
Energy 1,118,000
Environment—direct grants 3,612,417
—urban programme 76,011,000
Foreign and Commonwealth Office 880,626
Overseas Development Administration1 26,822,713
Health and Social Security 35,075,544
Home Office 19,541,336
Lord Chancellor's Department 726,743
Northern Ireland Departments 14,974,781
Scottish Office—direct grants 8,970,443
—urban programme 16,600,000
Trade and Industry 8,689,088
Transport 636,000
Welsh Office—direct grants 8,467,801
—urban programme 2,850,000
1 During 1986–87 there was a decrease in requests from voluntary Agencies for grants in support of disaster, refugee and other emergency relief measures. That programme is, by its nature, reactive rather than planned. The other forms of support from the aid programme for voluntary agencies for their longer term development work increased substantially during 1986–87.

Employment

In addition, payments were made directly to voluntary bodies under various employment programmes:

£
Manpower Services Commission
Community Programme 480,000,000
Voluntary Projects Programme 8,250,000
Youth Training Scheme 125,000,000

The MSC makes payments to voluntary bodies under other programmes, but these cannot be given in detail except at disproportionate cost.

£
Northern Ireland Office (Department of Economic Development)
Community Workshops 15,599,832
Action for Community Employment Scheme 28,489,008
Community Volunteering Scheme 654,718
Youth Community Projects 746,191
Youth Help 712,303

Departments also made grants and payments to housing associations and societies; these are as follows:

£
Department of the Environment 842,700,000
Northern Ireland Office (Department of the Environment) 41,571,238
Scottish Office 107,571,238
Welsh Office 56,600,213

Grants made to voluntary bodies in 1986–87 by non-departmental public bodies include the following:

£
Equal Opportunities Commission 41,866
Commission for Racial Equality 1,835,210
Countryside Commission 2,625,000
Countryside Commission for Scotland 342,491
Health Education Council 738,000
Highlands and Islands Development Board 666,895
Nature Conservancy Council 1,765,072
Sports Council 15,446,000
£
Sports Council for Northern Ireland 405,189
Sports Council for Scotland 2,454,891
Sports Council for Wales 1,576,465