§ Ms ShipleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what monitoring her Department has in place to ensure regional development agencies meet their statutory commitments to sustainability. [59823]
§ Alan JohnsonEach RDA is monitored on its performance against the national level Tier 2 targets and regional Tier 3 core and supplementary milestones, as set out in their individual corporate plans. The performance monitoring framework, which came into effect alongside the Single Programme on 1 April 2002, requires the RDAs to report to Government on the achievement of Tier 3 milestones on a quarterly basis and on contribution towards the achievement of Tier 2 targets annually. This includes targets relating to sustainability.
§ Ms ShipleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what investment regional development agencies are making in(a) 2002, (b), 2003 and (c) 2004 to meet their environmental commitments. [59830]
§ Alan JohnsonThe RDAs are required to carry out sustainability appraisals of their regional economic strategies. All of the agency's schemes and projects from 2002 onwards will be subject to a formal sustainable development assessment. This assessment covers environmental, social and economic impacts. The RDAs carry out a broad spectrum of activities in pursuit of their regional economic development role and many of their activities have an environmental component, for example in relation to land and property development, in supporting the environmental technologies sector, or in regeneration activities. The Government do not require the RDAs to provide a disaggregated figure for expenditure on environmental projects or initiatives or on the environmental aspects of sustainable development assessments.
§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the(a) powers and (b) responsibilities are of regional development agencies with regard to (i) land use planning, (ii) transport issues and (iii) social inclusion. [60423]
§ Alan JohnsonThe regional development agencies have no powers or responsibilities in relation to land use planning and transport. RDAs are however important stakeholders in the preparation of regional planning guidance, including regional transport strategy.
Under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998, the RDAs have five statutory purposes which are:
- (a) to further the economic development and the regeneration of its area,
- (b) to promote business efficiency, investment and competitiveness in its area,
- (c) to promote employment in its area,
- (d) to enhance the development and application of skills relevant to employment in its area, and
- (e) to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom where it is relevant to its area to do so.
All of these areas have the potential to include work on or with an impact on social inclusion.
§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what(a) guidelines are given to and (b) requirements are placed on regional development 975W agencies, with regard to their allocation of Government money to their different areas of responsibility; and if she will place copies in the Library. [60424]
§ Alan JohnsonThe regional development agencies have been given a large degree of flexibility to spend their resources subject to delivery of the remaining commitments under the Single Regeneration Budget and other inherited programmes. Their corporate plans and targets have been approved by Ministers. The Department will be issuing revised guidance to the agencies on corporate planning for 2003–06 during the summer and copies of that will be placed in the Libraries of the House.