§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what basis he decided that the referendums for elected regional assemblies should be conducted by all-postal ballot. [159824]
§ Phil Hope:Following a series of pilots in local authority elections and thorough evaluation by the Electoral Commission, it is clear that all-postal ballots can significantly increase the levels of participation in elections. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister considered this evidence carefully, before announcing our intention to hold the referendums by all-postal ballot in response to a question from the hon. Member for South Ribble (Mr. Borrow) on 22 October 2003.
§ Ann WintertonTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister to whom Government Offices of the Regions would be accountable if regional assemblies are introduced. [160740]
§ Mr. RaynsfordGovernment Offices for the Regions will remain as part of central Government and will continue to be responsible to Government Ministers.
1714W
Existing RPGs and proposed revisions Region Draft RPG published
Existing RPG Public
examination
into RPG
Issue of final RPG
Draft RPG/RSS published
Revision timetable Public
examination
into RPG/PSS
Target for issue of final RPG/
RSS
East of England (Formally RPG6 but to become RPG 14) (Revision will extend
coverage to whole of the East region)
August 1998 (issued for
consultation by GO)
February 1999 November 2000 September 2004 June/July 2005 July 2006 North East (RPGI) December 1999 June/July 2000 November 2002 November 2004 August 2005 June 2006 East Midlands (RPG8) November 1999 July 2000 January 2002 Spring 20031 Autemn 20031 Autumn 20041 South East (RPG9) (Revision will exclude areas now included in the East and
London)
December 1998 May 1999 March 2001 Summer 2005 Late 2005 Autumn 2006 South East (Waste Review) — — — Early 20041 Autumn 20041 Summer 20051 South West (RPG10) August 1999 March/April 2000 September 2001 Autumn 20041 Early 20061 Early 20071 west Midlands(RPG11) — — April 1998 November 2001 June 2002 Early 2004 Yorkshire and the Humber (RPG 12) October 1999 June/July 2000 October 2001 End 2004 Autumn 2005 Summer 2006 Yorkshire and the Humber — — — June 20031 February 20041 Late 20041 North West (RPG 13) June/July 2000 February 2001 March 2003 March 20041 November 20041 Late 20051 Milton Keynes and South Midlands Study (MKSM), will inform RPG for the East of
England, the South East and East
Midlands.
— — — July 2003 March-April 2004 February 2005 1Partial review only However the Government intend to devolve to elected assemblies some of the functions currently discharged through Government Offices. The assembly would be accountable to its electorate for those devolved functions.
§ Ann WintertonTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister from which funding source the difference between the 2002–03 Government grant of £780 million for the North West Region, £350 million for the North East Region and £570 million for the Yorkshire and the Humber Region and the EU funding of £254 million for the North West, £88 million for the North East and £185 million for Yorkshire and the Humber was provided. [160742]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe difference between the 2002–03 likely total budgets for elected regional assemblies and the European programme funding is the block grant which assemblies will receive from central Government. The budgets for which a future elected regional assembly would be responsible (in the form of the block grant) are currently allocated to the Government Offices and non-departmental public bodies from central Government Departments.