§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to make the first appointments to the regional development agencies for the South West. [31396]
§ Mr. CabornThe Bill setting up the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) is currently before Parliament and board appointments cannot be made until the Bill has received Royal Assent. However, we have begun the process of identifying potential board members. An advertisement seeking self-nominations appeared in the press in January, and we are now inviting groups with an interest in the proposed activities of the RDAs to make nominations.
Formal appointments to boards will not be made until after Royal Assent to the RDAs Bill. Nonetheless, it is likely that we may wish to engage a potential chairman/woman for each board and probably one other board member on an advisory basis from about June or July to assist in the early development of the RDAs. The final selection of other board members and formal appointments will not be made until later in the year, with the agencies becoming fully operational on 1 April 1999.
§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what criteria he will use to select people to serve on regional development agencies; if those selected will be able to continue to serve as county or borough councillors; and if he will make a statement. [31397]
§ Mr. CabornThe qualities which we are seeking in potential members of Regional Development Agency (RDA) boards and the factors which will be taken into account in making appointments are set out in the information pack made available to candidates. I have arranged for a copy of this information pack to be placed in the Library.
RDA board members will be able to continue as county or borough councillors. We intend to appoint boards of twelve members and that four of these should be local councillors.