As already announced, a total capital provision of £15 million is to be made available by way of block grants to local authorities in 1997 in respect of a devolved programme, comprising: the existing group water and sewerage grants scheme; the new multi-annual programme for the take-over and upgrading by local authorities of existing group water and sewerage schemes, and small public water and sewerage schemes costing less than £250,000.
Allocations to individual local authorities have not yet been made but I intend to do so as soon as possible.