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Royal Hall, Harrogate - 9 June 2004

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Mr. David Curry (Skipton and Ripon): I represent a large part of the Harrogate district, so my council tax payers have a major interest in the issue.

Can we be clear about the facts? The cost of restoration is estimated at £13.7 million. The council initially said that it had £2.6 million available—a sum supported by Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors. Of that, a significant amount has gone on additional facilities to the conference centre itself, for so-called break-out facilities. The Heritage Lottery Fund is offering £6 million. The council has said that it is looking for a reduced scheme and is offering £2 million, because it needs a cash-limited scheme. It cannot have an open-ended commitment that exposes its own reserves and its constituents. When the hon. Gentleman blames the council, I think that he should understand that it does not wish to have an open-ended commitment on a scheme with major structural failure. The Liberal Democrat members of the council have never dissented from that evaluation of the position.

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David Curry MP | House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA | tel: 020 7219 6202