HC Deb 30 January 1987 vol 109 c462W
Mr. Boyes

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, further to his reply to the right hon. Member for Brent, East (Mr. Freeson) of 15 January, Official Report, column 269, he will state in relation to the Black Country, Teesside and Tyne and Wear urban development corporations (a) who are the consultants advising him, (b) what is the brief they are working to, (c) when he expects to announce the corporation board memberships, (d) what are his criteria for selecting board members and (e) what the salaries of the chairman and the board members will be.

Mr. John Patten

The information is as follows:

  1. (a) The consultants are Ecotec, Research and consulting Limited (for the Black Country), Price Waterhouse (for Tyne and Wear) and Coopers and Lybrand Associates Limited (for Teesside). These firms are heading consortia of other specialist consultants.
  2. (b) The consultants are analysing the development potential of the areas advising on what was held back achievement of that potential, advising on the most appropriate use of sites, identifying the levels of private sector investment that would be achieved and the public sector cost, and making recommendations on the boundaries of the urban development areas.
  3. (c) My right hon. Friend announced on 6 January his intention to appoint Mr. Paul Nicholson as chairman of the Tyne and Wear Development Corporation. Other proposed appointments will be announced as soon as possible.
  4. (d) My right hon. Friend will select board members on the basis of their ability to do the job. He will include members who have a special knowledge of the locality and appropriate business or professional experience.
  5. (e) All posts are part-time. The chairmen and deputy chairmen will be paid at notional full-time rates of £43,515 and £29,535 respectively. Actual remuneration will depend on the time commitment involved. Members will he paid at a flat rate of £3,465.