§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the projects that have been established to date by UK 2000, showing how many jobs have been created of a paid and voluntary nature, how much business sponsorship has been raised to date by UK 2000 and how much grant has been paid by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the future funding of UK 2000.
§ Mr. Ridley[holding answer 2 November 1988]About 500 projects have been supported to date by UK 2000 in England. It would entail disproportionate expense to list them all. In June this year some 9,000 community programme trainees were employed on these projects; 15,000 volunteers have so far been involved in projects in the current year; and some 100 long-term jobs have been, or will be, created through these projects.
My Department's grant to UK 2000 was £597,685 in 1986–87, £1,381,137 in 1987–88 and £1,805,000 in 1988–89. UK 2000 has matched this grant with private sponsorship in each year. I consider this an impressive achievement.
It is my intention to continue funding UK 2000 at the same level in 1989–90 as in 1988–89. Accordingly I expect that the Department's grant will be a declining share of the overall budget for the initiative. I have undertaken to consider funding beyond 1989–90 later this year.