§ Mr. WattsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what resources have been allocated to regional development agencies for 1999–2000. [81847]
§ Mr. CabornThe allocations are as follows:
Development Agency £ million North East 121.198 North West 176.104 Yorkshire and the Humber 136.633 West Midlands 114.111 East Midlands 59.184 East of England 31.397 South West 60.138 South East England 73.410 Total 772.175 These are substantial allocations and reflect the fact that Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) will play a major part in implementing the strategies that they will be developing for their regions as a whole.
RDAs' budgets are made up from the DETR-funded regeneration programmes which they have inherited from English Partnerships (EP), the Government Offices for the Regions and the Rural Development Commission, together with money from the Department of Trade and Industry for inward investment and competitiveness, and from the Department for Education and Employment for skills development. They also include RDAs' own running costs. Regeneration programmes make up 87 per cent. of the total budget and variations in allocations reflect the regions' different regeneration needs. In addition, RDAs will receive funding from EP to carry out the Coalfields Programme, totalling some £50 million in 1999–2000.
546WThe allocations exclude EP's Partnership Investment Programme (PIP), totalling£145 million in 1999–2000 which will remain with EP pending the resolution of issues which the Government is currently discussing with the European Commission. However, the RDAs and EP will be co-operating closely on PIP projects.
§ Mrs. EllmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the value is of the commitments that have been entered into which are(a) legally binding and (b) agreed in principle by Government Departments in the regions, English Partnership and other public bodies in relation to economic development in the (i) North West, (ii) North East and (iii) Yorkshire and Humberside regions for the years (1) 1999–2000, (2) 2000–01 and (3) 2001–02. [81088]
§ Mr. CabornInformation is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mrs. EllamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what resources are being made available from public funds in (i) 1999–2000, (ii)2000–01, and (iii)2001–02 for economic development in the(a)North West, (b) North East and (c) Yorkshire and Humberside regions through (1) their regional development agencies and (2) other sources. [81089]
§ Mr. CabornI refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for St. Helens, North (Mr. Watts). Information about funding through regional development agencies is also contained in the Department's 1999 Annual Report (Cm 4204), copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The other information is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.