§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has yet decided in which areas the initial safer cities programme will operate; what the total cost of this initial phase will be; how much of this represents new expenditure by his Department; and what vote the remaining expenditure will come from.
§ Mr. HurdWe aim to establish 20 safer cities projects over the next three years: eight in 1988–89; eight in 1989–90; and four in 1990–91. Each will be located in an urban programme area where there are serious crime problems, and where other central Government programmes have been targeted. My hon. Friend the Minister of State announced on 7 April, when visiting the west midlands, that Wolverhampton is to be the first safer cities project area. Other areas will be invited to join the safer cities programme soon. Decisions about the location of projects will be made only after consultation with the appropriate local authority, the police and probation services and other local interests. Provision for the initial phase of the programme (1988–89) is £2.9 million. This will be met from the Home Office Vote (class XI, vote 3) and all of it represents new expenditure.