§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will identify the amount and source of the extra funds for the single regeneration budget outlined in the latest Budget; and whether those extra funds will be available for all local authorities to compete for.
§ Mr. CurryAn extra £25 million has been added, for each of the three years 1995–96 to 1997–98, to the resources for projects successful in the first bidding round 317W of the single regeneration budget. This brings the amount available for the 201 successful bids announced on 6 December to £125 million in 1995–96 and to £225 million in both 1996–97 and 1997–98.
A second bidding round will be launched next year and will build up to a full spend of £200 million in 1997–98, with £40 million available in 1996–97 for early funding of successful projects.
Resources for these new SRB projects are being released from the programmes which were brought together to form the SRB, as their existing commitments come to an end.
Detailed guidance for the second round will be issued next spring. As in round 1, local authorities, training and enterprise councils and private and voluntary sector interests will be encouraged to form partnerships and put forward comprehensive bids that meet local regeneration needs and priorities.