Single Regeneration Budget And Reduction In Funding

EDM number 1082 in 1993-94, proposed by Terry Patchett on 20/04/1994.

That this House condemns in the strongest possible terms the 35 per cent. cut in spending on urban regeneration schemes revealed in Parliamentary Answers to the honourable Member for Coventry North East, which show that the total money spent in the last available year on projects to be included in the single regeneration budget was more than ú2 billion at current prices, but will be cut to ú1.3 billion by 1995-96; believes that this vicious cut will make worse the problems of residents of some of Britain's most deprived areas, 55 of which were recently highlighted by the Daily Mirror, where unemployment rates of 40 per cent. and more are not uncommon, crime is rife and emergency services fear to tread; further believes that without a real commitment to solve the problem the blight which residents of these areas live under will continue and that these residents, more than any others, will pay the price of failed Tory policies as they contend with high crime and insurance costs, low employment rates and prospects; and finally calls upon the Government to recognise these issues as priorities and provide adequate funding to address them.

This motion has been signed by a total of 71 MPs.