§ 18. Mr. Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received from Cornwall on his proposals to set up regional development agencies. [30640]
§ Mr. CabornIn response to our consultation on regional development agencies in England, we received 253 letters from the South West region, 58 of which were from Cornwall. Since then, we have received a large542W number of pro-forma representations about matters relating to Cornwall, including our proposals for RDAs, as well as further individual representations.
§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he will take to ensure political balance in, and industrial expertise amongst, government appointments to regional development agencies. [32681]
§ Mr. CabornWe have advertised publicly for candidates and are seeking nominations from a broad range of organisations including those representing business and industry. We intend that boards be business led, but they will also need an effective presence from the public sector which is also very active in the regional economy. Political balance is not a primary consideration in making appointments to the RDAs. Individuals will be appointed on their merits for the particular expertise and background that they will bring to the RDA. However, we propose that local government representation on each board will reflect the balance of the electorate in a region as regards type and size of authority, geographical spread, and political balance.