§ Lord Hoosonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to strengthen the 10 regional offices in England, where the activities of various departments of the Civil Service in the regions are co-ordinated.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Baroness Hayman)At present, the 10 Government Offices for the Regions are part of the Departments of Environment, Transport and the Regions; Trade and Industry; and Education and Employment. The House Office is also represented in each. The Government continue to keep under review the contribution of other government departments to the work of the Government Offices.
The Government are keen to move quickly to implement our manifesto commitments on the regional agenda in England. We recognise that the interests of the English regions have been neglected in recent years, and we aim to reverse that neglect.