Inner City Programme (Hansard, 24 June 1991)

§ Mr. Portillo

Very important support is provided for the inner cities through the main programmes of the Home Office and the Departments of Trade and Industry, Employment, Education and Science, Transport, Health and Social Security and through support to local authorities and the Housing Corporation by this Department including the estate action programme.

My Department promotes inner city regeneration through a variety of programmes and initiatives, including the following grant measures.

City Challenge City Challenge is a new initiative under which local authorities are invited to draw up comprehensive plans in partnership with the private sector, voluntary organisations and local people, to bid for resources for the regeneration of key parts of their areas within a five-year period. Fifteen authorities have been invited to compete for a share in over £250 million from DoE programmes during the five years 1992–93 to 1996–97.

Urban Development Corporations Grant-aid is provided for the ten urban development corporations in England. Some £470 million will be available in 1991–92 to purchase and reclaim land, provide infrastructure, encourage development and improve the environment.

Urban Programme Fifty-seven urban programme (UP) authorities in England receive 75 per cent. grant towards a wide range of projects with an emphasis on economic and environmental improvements as the key to self-sustaining regeneration in targeted inner city areas. In 1991–92, £268 million is available to support almost 9,000 projects.

City Grant City grant is provided to support private sector capital projects which benefit run down urban areas and which 405W cannot proceed without grant. Over £56 million has been committed to the city grant programme for 1991–92 and will be available for industrial, commercial, housing and leisure projects.

Derelict Land Grant Derelict land grant (DLG) is available throughout England to local authorities, other public bodies, voluntary organisations, private firms and individuals to promote the reclamation of land which has been so damaged by industrial or other development that it is incapable of beneficial use without treatment. The DLG programme for 1991–92 totals £88 million of which about £81.5 million is expected to be spent on local authority reclamation schemes. About 40 per cent. of the programme will be devoted to schemes in the inner cities.

City Action Teams There are eight city action teams (CATs) operating in Birmingham, Cleveland, Leeds/Bradford, Liverpool, London, Tyne and Wear, Nottingham/Leicester/Derby and Manchester/Salford. The CATs are an important mechanism for co-ordinating and targeting Government programmes and harnessing the support of business and industry. Each CAT has a small budget, a total of £8.1 million in 1991–92, with which to prime action targeted on inner city problems of unemployment, environmental improvement and the need to promote enterprise.