Ms Burke asked the Minister representing the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, upon notice, on 19 August 2002:

(1) Are there any programs administered by the Minister's Department that provide, or have provided, funding to local government authorities in (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98, (c) 1998-99, (d) 1999-2000, (e) 2000-2001 and (f) 2001-2002.

(2) If so, for each program for each of the years that funding was granted to local government authorities (a) what was the level of funding provided to each local government authority, (b) what was the purpose for which the grant was made and (c) in which federal electoral division or divisions does this local government authority fall.

(3) Have any concerns been raised with the Minister's office or the Minister's Department from (a) local government authorities or (b) other organisations regarding the cost shifting onto local government in regard to any programs administered by the Minister's Department; if so, (a) to what program or programs did the concern relate and (b) were any investigations undertaken by the Minister's Department in relation to these concerns; if not, why not; if so, what were the findings of these investigations.

Mr McGauran (Minister for Science) —The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:

(1) The Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts provides a wide range of funding programs across its cultural and information and communications streams. Many of these funding programs have a strong history of allocating funding to successful local government authority applicants, or applicants with strong local government authority linkages.

For example, the Local Government Fund is providing $45 million over five years (1999-2000 to 2003-2004) to support regional and rural local government authorities in using telecommunications to deliver improved services and benefits to their communities.

Information on grants and grant allocations including, the Local Government Fund are available in the Department's annual report and at the Department's grants portal (http://www.dcita.gov.au/Collection/CollectionPage/0,,0_1-2_1-3_202,00.html)

(2) and (3) I am not prepared to authorise the committal of the considerable human resources needed for the searching of records to compile and break down the information requested.