HC Deb 17 April 2000 vol 348 cc317-8W
Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans his Department has for merging the New Deal for Communities into the Government's regeneration scheme; [119027]

(2) what plans he has to fund the Single Regeneration Budget beyond Round 7. [119029]

Ms Beverley Hughes

[holding answer 14 April 2000]: The level of funding for regeneration programmes beyond March 2002 and the respective future role for each programme, including the Single Regeneration Budget and New Deal for Communities, is being considered in the current Spending Review. The outcome of the Review and the Government's new expenditure plans for the period to March 2004 should be announced in July.

Dr. Stoate

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much money from the Single Regeneration Budget 5 Programme, "Gateways to Community Success",(a) has been and (b) is due to be, provided to fund skills development and training in the Dartford area. [118843]

Ms Beverley Hughes

"Gateways to Community Success" was approved last year under the Single Regeneration Budget 5 Programme. The scheme aims to develop the capacity of organisations to equip local residents with personal and vocational skills relevant to the needs of the local labour market. Total SRB funding of £4.3 million will be made available to the scheme over a seven year period from 1999 to 2006. In the first year, £200,000 (mainly for set-up costs) was provided by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), which is now responsible for Government SRB fundings.

Most of the specific projects supported under this scheme will benefit residents across the whole of the Thames Gateway area in North Kent. It is difficult therefore to break down how much funding will be targeted specifically at Dartford. However, one project under this scheme (Making Connections) is aimed at residents in and around the Temple Hill area of Dartford. Within the overall scheme, this specific project will receive total SRB funding of £809,000. In the first year, £30,000 (again mainly for set-up costs) was provided by SEEDA.