§ Mr. MallonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of the progress that has been made since the establishment of the inter-departmental committee on rural development.
§ Mr. HanleySince taking on ministerial responsibility for rural development in Northern Ireland, I have set up within the Department of Agriculture a new rural development division to take forward the work of establishing the new structures announced at the time.
I was pleased to be able to announce recently the appointment of Mr. Jimmy Armstrong as the executive chairman-designate for the proposed formation of the Rural Development Council and have asked him to prepare a draft constitution. I have also decided that a council of about 15 members could represent a wide range of rural and other relevant interests. I shall shortly be 605W seeking the assistance of appropriate organisations to help to identify potential members who might be able to make a personal contribution to the work of the council.
Arrangements are also under way to select from the wider public service a small team of area co-ordinators who will establish local networks of statutory agencies to co-ordinate and integrate responses to locally developed community regeneration plans.
I am aiming to have the next structures fully operational by the autumn.