§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department's officials will have discussions with those responsible for operating the Homerunner women-only bus service in Bradford with a view to funding the service indefinitely; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. JackThe Homerunner women's safe transport scheme commenced in November 1989 funded jointly by the Home Office, through the Bradford safer cities project, and the West Yorkshire passenger transport authority, Metro, for a period of 12 months. Further funding from safer cities, Metro and Bradford metropolitan borough council allowed the service to continue until March 1992 to enable the Homerunner steering group to seek funding from local sources to secure the future of the scheme. Exceptionally, safer cities grant was contributed to a further year's funding to enable the service to operate until March 1993, while Homerunner continued to make arrangements for alternative funding.
When the safer cities programme was established in 1988, it was intended that the modest amount of grant funding for each project would act as pump-priming and not to finance schemes on a long-term basis. It has consistently been made clear to the Homerunner scheme that the safer cities grant could not continue indefinitely.
Bradford safer cities final year as a Home Office project is 1993–94 and its steering committee has concluded that, in the light of the more limited grants budget available and the previous history of funding the Homerunner scheme, it could not recommend a further grant for the scheme.
There are no other Home Office grant-giving initiatives available which could assist Homerunner and in these circumstances a meeting with the operators of the service 5W would serve little purpose. However, I hope that funding will be found from local sources to enable this service to continue.