§ Mr. Boris JohnsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what research her Department has commissioned on the role which regional assemblies could play in service delivery in her Department's sectors. [176422]
§ Mr. CabornThe existing regional chambers, or assemblies, do not have a service delivery function. Their principal responsibilities are the scrutiny of regional economic strategies under the Regional Development Agencies Act, 1998. In addition, from 1 April 2003 all the chambers took on the role of regional planning bodies, with responsibility for producing regional planning guidance. Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act, 2004, they will have responsibility for producing Regional Spatial Strategies. I have therefore commissioned no such research, but I do require the Regional Culture Consortiums for which I am responsible to develop regional cultural strategies in consultation with a wide range of regional partners including regional chambers and assemblies.
The Government's proposals for the powers and functions of elected regional assemblies, including their cultural responsibilities, were set out in the 2002 White Paper "Your Region, Your Choice: Revitalising the English Regions" (Cm5511). These will be reflected in the draft Bill that we intend to publish before the first referenda are held on whether to establish elected assemblies.