§ 21. Mr. CouchmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what increase he plans next year in funding for English Heritage.
§ Mr. Chris PattenGrant in aid to English Heritage in 1991–92 will total £89.2 million. This is £9.5 million above previous plans and includes the first £2 million tranche of new money for repair grants to historic cathedrals. Over the three years to 1993–94 resources for cathedral repairs will total £11.5 million. The increases for English Heritage's existing activities will enable it to strengthen its grant programmes for other church and secular buildings and to press on with visitor facility and maintenance works at some of its important properties-in-care. In addition, the extra resources will enable English Heritage to take forward a number of the initiatives set out in the White Paper, "This Common Inheritance"—in particular greater priority for assistance to historic town centres and industrial heritage, a comprehensive register of historic landscapes and gardens to inform the planning process, and the development of heritage-related education initiatives. By 1993–94 grant in aid to English Heritage is planned to increase to over £100 million.