HC Deb 19 January 1995 vol 252 cc658-9W
Mr. Heppell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what the average business ratepayer paid in 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992 and in the latest available year in(a) actual and (b) real terms.

Mr. Robert B. Jones

Average business rates per ratepayer prior to April 1990 cannot be compared with figures for later years. The following table gives the available information:

Mr. Curry

Partnership bids approved under the first single regeneration budget bidding round, address a wide range of local needs and priorities, reflecting the objectives set out in paragraph 10 of the published bidding guidance, copies of which are in the Library of the House. Information is not held in the form requested; but I sent details of all the successful bids to the hon. Member on 5 December.

For the urban programme,the proportion of projects of projects by category is as follows:

Year Economic Per cent. Environmental Per cent. Social Per cent. Housing Per cent.
1990–91 29 17 46 8
1991–92 33 23 44 —
1992–93 26 24 50 —
1993–94 33 27 40 —
1994–95 (provisional) 34 22 44 —

Notes:

"Housing" ceased to be a separate category in 1990–91; from 1991–92 most "housing" activity was recorded under "environmental". Most "community" projects would have been classified as "social" and could be disaggregated only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Heppell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what extra resources are available in the single regeneration budget following the ending of targeted programmes.

Mr. Curry

Targeted programmes have not ended. All existing commitments under the 20 programmes which now form part of the single regeneration budget continue to be honoured.

Following the first bidding round, £125 million is available for new SRB projects in 1995–96 and £225 million in both 1996–97 and 1997–98. A second bidding round, to be launched later this year, will build up to expenditure of £200 million in 1997–98, with £40 million available in 1996–97 for early funding of approved projects.

Total SRB expenditure over the next three years on current plans will be almost £4 billion, of which over £800 million will be available for new projects. The balance of resources—over £1 billion a year—will fund the commitments on existing programmes.