§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment has been made of the extent to which the grants awarded by the Home and Health Department are giving value for money; and if projects are being vetted adequately.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 2 November 1992]: Grants are awarded by the Scottish Office Home and Health Department for many projects falling under that Department's areas of responsibility. In each case, strict guidelines and conditions are laid out relating to the use of grant aid and must be accepted in writing by prospective recipients prior to any funds being advanced. Thereafter, projects are monitored and evaluated on a regular basis throughout the life of the grant aid and, where appropriate, the annual accounts of the recipient bodies are required to be submitted to the Department. Increasingly, grant recipients are being required to produce business plans and are being set performance targets. All these measures serve to assist value-for-money examination and I am content that the projects are being vetted adequately.