§ Mr. TylerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what Government support programmes or finance are available to rural development areas; and what are the basic services that his Department treats as being necessary for assessing grants to rural development areas.
§ Mr. Maclean[holding answer 14 July 1992]: In addition to the wide range of national and regional assistance which is available from Government Departments the rural development areas receive 857W additional assistance from the Rural Development Commission which is sponsored by my Department. This includes the provision of workspace, grants for the conversion of redundant buildings, a business advice service, grants and loans for small rural businesses and support for community groups and projects. Grant applications are assessed on their merits, taking into account the needs of the area, the rules of the grant scheme and the views of funding partners.
§ Mr. TylerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each local authority which contains a rural development area the level of(a) rural development programme, (b) rural housing programme and (c) rural transport development fund for each year from 1987–88 at current prices and at 1987–88 prices.
§ Mr. Maclean[holding answer 14 July 1992]: The detailed information requested on the rural development programmes and the rural transport development fund could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the total sum spent on these is as follows:
At 1992–93 prices At 1987–88 prices Rural Development Programme 1987–88 19,831 14,344 1988–89 20,734 14,997 1989–90 18,232 13,187 1990–91 17,344 12,545 1991–92 11,292 8,168 Rural Transport Development Programme 1987–88 796 576 1988–89 624 451 1989–90 711 515 1990–91 290 209 1991–92 413 299 The rural housing programme has been in operation only since 1991–92. Its schedule of allocations for the first two years with a break-down by local authority can be found in the Library of this House.