To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what public funds have been made available to the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens in each of the last five years. (145721)

I have been asked to reply.

Through its Special Grants Programme, the Department for Communities and Local Government has funded the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens (the Federation) as follows: 2005-06: £50,000; 2006-07: £70,000; 2007-08: £125,000 to a total amount of £245,000. No funding was provided to the Federation by the Departments in 2003-04 or 2004-05.

The Departments funding allows the Federation to develop networks to support and promote new and existing local community-based gardening and food production groups, supporting delivery of our Cleaner, Safer, Greener Communities programme.

Through the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Environmental Action Fund, the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens received a three-year grant from 2005-08 as follows:

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs funding supports the Sustainable Production in Active Neighbourhoods (SPAN) Project. SPAN partners, including the Federation, are being supported to develop resources and working methods that will support community organisations to enable people to be involved in sustainable food production and consumption.