To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many enterprise agencies are operating in the inner city areas; and if he will make a statement.

There are over 90 local enterprise agencies operating in the urban programme authorities in England. My Department, through the local enterprise agency grant scheme, is encouraging the development of a network of viable agencies in England; 54 agencies in the urban programme authority areas were supported in the 1987–88 financial year. In addition, my Department has recently introduced a new local enterprise agency project scheme which is designed to assist projects run by agencies in the urban programme authority areas and to encourage greater private sector support for them.