HC Deb 26 July 1999 vol 336 cc4-5W
Mr. Hilary Benn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the programmes funded directly by his Department, relating to social exclusion, regeneration, community development, employment or education, currently operating in(a) the City of Leeds and (b) the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, listing for each programme the amount of such funding for each of the last three years and the amount planned to be spent in each of the next three financial years. [92912]

Mr. Meale

The information requested is not held by my Department centrally. The Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber (GOYH) has provided the following details:

Leeds has received £17,528,250 Single Regeneration Budget Challenge Funding (SRB) in the last three years. The projected SRB spend for the next three years is £36,271,583. It is not possible to break down the figures at constituency level but three of the most significant SRB schemes cover part of the Leeds Central constituency:

Rebuilding Our Communities: £12.5 million 7 year programme from Round 2 (1996) focusing on Chapeltown/Harehills, Hyde Park/Burley and Beeston. The scheme links housing based regeneration with programmes to improve training and employment opportunities, raise attainment and encourage new business start-ups.

Partnership with Young People: £24 million 7 year programme from Round 3 (1997) Leeds Initiative led programme to address the needs and aspirations of young people aged 9-25 in the deprived wards of Burmantofts, Chapel Allerton, Harehills and University.

Investing in the Community: £7.4 million 7 year programme targeted at the Beeston Hill and Holbeck communities to tackle multi-deprivation and social exclusion.

The Urban Community Initiative Programme which tackles social deprivation in the inner city has received £3.5 million European funding, 1997–99 and new programmes for the next six years are being negotiated at the moment.

The Capital Challenge Scheme project had £4.9 million approved in 1996, expected to be completed by March 2000 to establish a series of Customer Service centres in and around Leeds for the community to access a range of public services under one roof.

Round 5 of the SRB includes a £25 million, 7 year bid submitted by Leeds Initiative, Better Neighbourhoods and Confident Communities. This will target the most socially excluded neighbourhoods in Leeds to address the issues of neighbourhood decline.