§ Mr. CurryTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the(a) dates and (b) venues of all meetings open to members of the public or by special invitation held in the (i) North East, (ii) North West and (iii) Yorkshire and the Humber organised by the relevant Government regional offices to discuss the Government's proposals to establish regional assemblies at which a Government Minister spoke; what the cost was of holding each meeting; how many (A) members of the public and 695W (B) invitees attended; what the schedule is for future meetings; and what the budget is for each meeting in each of the relevant regions. [165977]
Date Venue Region Public Invitees Cost (£) 4 March 2004 Ewood Park, Blackburn North West 210 40 5,400 4 March 2004 Berwick Community High School, Berwick North East 55 65 6,600 18 March 2004 Pennine Theatre, Sheffield Hallam University Yorkshire and the Humber 68 67 10,300 25 March 2004 University of Newcastle North East 132 88 9,700 1 April 2004 Windsor Suite, Quality Royal Hotel, Hull Yorkshire and the Humber 180 170 6,900 5 April 2004 Liverpool Marriott City Centre Hotel North West 126 42 12,400 15 April 2004 Stonecross Manor Hotel, Kendal North West 179 31 5,100 Ministers have attended public meetings in Middlesbrough and Halifax on 22 April at estimated costs of £11,400 and £7,700 respectively.
Future meetings are being scheduled, but details of these meetings have yet to be finalised.
Date Venue Region Public Invitees Cost (£) 3 November 2003 Durham Castle North East — 100 Total of 25,000 3 November 2003 St. William's College, York Yorkshire and the Humber — 57 4 November 2003 The Village Hotel, Warrington North West — 80 1 December 2003 The Door, Hanover St, Liverpool North West — 15 — 4 December 2003 Town Hall, Barnsley Yorkshire and the Humber — 31 — 22 January 2004 Midland Hotel, Manchester North West — 400 3,200 23 January 2004 West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds Yorkshire and the Humber — 240 6,000 23 January 2004 Vermont Hotel, Newcastle North East — 120 6,200 29 January 2004 Speke, Parklands Youth Centre, North West — 25–30 44 King George V College, Sefton North West — 20 25 February 2004 North Manchester Chambers of Commerce, Bolton North West — 30 —
§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total spending relating to the proposed elected regional assemblies by regional chambers has been in the(a) North West, (b) North East and (c) Yorkshire and the Humber; and, for each of these regions, what the total anticipated spending is for the period up to the regional referendums. [166561]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Regional Chambers have not spent, and will not spend, any Government grant money campaigning for, publicising or promoting the case for an elected regional assembly. They are prohibited from doing so under the terms of their funding agreements, by which they receive Government grant.