VILLAGE HALLS

Motion Text

That this House calls upon the Government to assist England's rural communities threatened by the prospect of derelict village halls, as a consequence of reduced funding by the national Lottery's Community Fund and other organisations; recognises that compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 has compounded the deficit facing community halls and villages, resulting in the threat of closure and community damage; recognises the value and importance of rural regeneration; and supports the proposals by Action with Communities in Rural England to amend the guidelines to the Community Fund so as to make support for village halls a priority, and to prevent the biggest share of lottery money being used to finance programmes which should be the responsibility of Central Government.