Valleys Initiative

HC Deb 13 April 1989 vol 150 cc673-5W

Mr. Rowlands

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what additional allocations he made to the Housing Corporation in Wales to implement the objectives of the valleys initiative; and whether he instructed them to allocate this sum specifically to valley housing association initiatives.

Mr. Grist

An additional £4.5 million was allocated to the Housing Corporation in Wales in 1988–89 and £8.6 million to Housing for Wales (Tai Cymru) for 1989–90 for the provision of housing under the programme for the valleys. The sums are being targeted specifically on the programme area.

Mr. Barry Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what requests he has received to address a conference of the 15 valleys initiative local authorities in south Wales on the subject of regional policy and investment in the infrastructure; what response he has made; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Walker

I have received no request to address this specific conference. Welsh Office officials are of course in regular touch with valleys local authorities on many aspects of the valleys programme.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Newport, West on 21 March, Official Report, column 502, he will define the areas included in his calculations and the percentage of the population covered by the valleys programme that is included in the total.

District	Wards	District	Wards
Blaenau Gwent	Nos. 1–18	Ogwr	Nos. 3–11, 17
Torfaen	Nos. 1,7–11	Lliw Valley	Nos. 1, 4–8
Islwyn	Nos. 1–10, 12	Neath	Nos. 4, 5, 7–16
Rhymney Valley	Nos. 3–20	Port Talbot	Nos. 5, 9–11
Merthyr Tydfil	Nos. 1–9	Brecknock	Nos. 29–33
Cynon Valley	Nos. 1–12, 14	Llanelli	Nos. 7, 8, 11
Rhondda	All wards	Dinefwr	Nos. 2–6, 9, 14, 15
Taff Ely	Nos. 1–7, 10–13

The latest available total resident population covered by the valleys programme area on the above basis is 696,720 according to the 1981 census of population. Official estimates of population for more recent years are not available at a Ward level.

The figure of 35,675 unemployed in May 1988 quoted in the previous answer if 5.1 per cent. of that number, but the two figures are obviously not on a comparable basis either in terms of the period or population covered.