§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health why new core grants awarded to voluntary organisations under the provisions of section 64 of the Health Service and Public Health Act 1968 will be limited from the next financial year to a period which will not exceed five years.
§ Mr. FreemanThe primary objective of this change in relation to new grants is to ensure that the section 64 budget retains enough flexibility to encompass a range of new applications each year. The overall value of the section 64 budget has not been reduced, and we shall keep the outcome of this change under review.