At paragraph 427 Mr Blunt made a quick calculation that we had spend 2 per cent of our Urban Parks Programme on cemetaries. The calculation is not quite as simple as it might first appear and our Director did not have precise figures to hand at the time. We have since checked through our data, and can confirm that, based on the £3.4 million we indicated in our written memorandum that we had spent on "pure" cemetaries projects, 1.82 per cent of our Urban Parks Programme spend has gone to cemeteries.

  However, our Director also mentioned in oral evidence that we had additionally spent a further £4.6 million on projects that delivered similar benefits, such as churchyard projects. Adding these projects in as well the figure increases to 3.7 per cent. It should also of course be remembered that our funding for cemeteries has not come exclusively from the Urban Parks Programme.

  At paragraph 433 Mr Benn asked about the split of our funding between local authorities and friends' groups for which our Director did not have information immediately to hand. I can now confirm that, of the £3.4 million referenced in our memorandum, 76 per cent has been awarded to local authorities. The remainder has gone to independent organisations including Friends groups and Trusts. However, when you add in the additional £4.6 million that we mentioned in oral evidence the picture changes and we find that 48 per cent has gone to local authorities. As a courtesy I will write to Mr Benn on this point.

Melanie Rickman

Secretary to the Trustees

January 2001