asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list from 1974 to the most convenient date (a) the various types of urban aid for which the metropolitan borough of Sandwell is eligible, (b) the urban aid applied for by the metropolitan borough of Sandwell and (c) the actual allocation of urban aid awarded to the metropolitan borough of Sandwell.
The metropolitan borough of Sandwell has continued to be eligible over the period in question to apply for urban programme grant aid in respect of projects submitted to the Home Office and then from 1977 to the Department of the Environment in response to the periodic urban programme circulars sent to all local authorities in England. In addition, following the Inner Urban Areas Act 1978 Sandwell has been made a designated district authority for the purposes of the Act and from next year will be able to apply under separate arrangements for grant aid under the urban programme in respect of industrial and commercial projects designed to assist the economy of the local community.
The amount of urban aid applied for by Sandwell MBC and approved for each financial year since 1974 is as follows:
Applied for £
| Approved (all amounts rounded to the nearest £100)£
| |
| 1974–75 | 12,000 | 3,000 |
| 1975–76 | 124,000 | 86,300 |
| 1976–77 | 9,000 | Nil |
| 1977–78 | 197,300 | 3,300 |
| 1978–79 | 216,500 | 188,600 |