§ Lord Dean of Beswickasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will list the sums of money they have made available to the city of Manchester following the IRA bombing in June, and the uses to which they have been put.
The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Earl Ferrers)The Government have given £300,000 to the Lord Mayor's Appeal Fund to provide relief from hardship for businesses affected by the bomb and to enable them to start trading again. One hundred and fifty, thousand pounds was given to the Task Force, matched by a similar figure from English Partnerships, towards the costs of the competition to select an urban design team to plan the city centre rebuilding. Regeneration funds which had been earmarked for the city before the bomb have 95WA also been used to meet demands which have arisen since, for example, refurbishing retail premises to house displaced traders from the city centre.
Following the bomb, £20 million of the UK's share of European Structural Funds for 1997-99 was allocated to help Manchester meet the many long-term economic regeneration tasks ahead. This funding is an addition to the allocation for Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire, and leaves other programmes in the area unaffected. Officials in the Government Office for the North West, itself based in Manchester, are in discussion with the Task Force to consider how best to apply these funds. A further £1 million has come from the current (1994-96) European programme to support the Task Force, together with some £500,000 for business support and relocation.
The Government recognise that there may be a need for further assistance to rebuild the city centre. We have made clear that, if appropriate application is made, further resources may be found.