HC Deb 23 June 2003 vol 407 cc648-9W
Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidelines are issued to local authorities on how much money they contribute to their region; what guidelines are issued to prevent public money being spent to promote regional referenda; what estimate he has made of the amount of council tax supplement that will be required to fund the eight regions in each of the next three years; and whether these amounts will be subject to capping. [120719]

Mr. Raynsford

The Government have not issued guidelines on the financial relationship between local authorities and regional chambers or other regional bodies. Use of local authority subscriptions to fund regional chambers is a matter for the parties concerned and the Government have made no estimate of the amounts involved. Local authorities need to have regard to the terms of the Code of Practice for Local Government Publicity, which my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has issued under section 4 of the Local Government Act 1986.

The funding agreement letter from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to the regional chambers makes it clear that the Chambers Fund cannot be used to advocate a particular outcome to a referendum on elected regional assemblies.

Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much money will be allocated to each of the regions from(a) the Chancellor's Fund and (b) the Regional Planning and the Planning Delivery Grant Body money in each of the next three years; what guidelines have been laid down as to how this money is to be spent; and whether it can be varied between different cost headings. [120708]

Keith Hill

There is no Chancellor's Fund for the English regions. No decisions have yet been taken on future allocations of the planning delivery grant to regional planning bodies. For 2004/05, the distribution of the further £6 million regional planning moneys is likely to be on the same basis as the allocations for the current financial year but has yet to be discussed with the regional planning bodies. The moneys allocated for this year should be drawn down against a business plan identifying planning objectives in accordance with which moneys can be varied between different cost headings.