§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he has taken to ensure that the economic strategies of the regional development agencies are consistent with emerging regional planning guidance in each region. [98528]
§ Ms Beverley HughesDraft Planning Policy Guidance Note 11 on "Regional Planning" (PPG 11) and the statutory guidance to the RDAs on the formulation of their strategies set out the relationship between Regional Planning Guidance and the strategies.
Both draft PPG 11 and the statutory guidance to RDAs emphasise the complementary nature of the guidance and strategies and stress the need for the regional planning bodies and the RDAs to work closely together.
This is already happening. The RDAs and the planning bodies are talking to each other and mapping a way forward with the benefit, for example, of joint working parties. In some regions RDA board members are also members of the regional planning body.
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he has taken to ensure that the regional development agencies have given due regard to the views of their designated voluntary regional chambers. [98531]
§ Ms Beverley HughesWe have given each Regional Development Agency (RDA) a direction under section 8(2)(a) of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 requiring them to have regard to the views of their designated regional chamber in formulating and keeping under review the regional strategy that they are required to produce under the Act.
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will require regional development agencies to publish a list of changes that were made to each of their draft strategies as a result of the findings of a sustainability appraisal. [98526]
§ Ms Beverley HughesThe Regional Development Agencies received a wide range of comments on their draft Regional Strategies. They have taken account of20W these in their own ways and have made their own publicity arrangements. The draft Strategies and the revised versions, which were presented to the Government on 26 October, are public documents.
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the Regional Development Agencies which have published an appraisal of how their economic strategy will foster effective protection of the environment, as required by the statutory guidance to the Regional Development Agencies. [98525]
§ Ms Beverley HughesGuidance on the formulation of the strategies was issued to the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) on 31 March 1999. This specifies that an appraisal of the contribution the strategy will make to sustainable development should be produced. The appraisal should cover social, economic and environmental sustainability.
All RDAs carried out a sustainable development appraisal of their draft strategies which informed the development of their final strategies. The following RDAs have already made these appraisals publicly available, and copies are available from the RDAs directly:
- Yorkshire Forward
- One North East
- East of England Development Agency
- East Midlands Development Agency
- South West of England Development Agency
- South East of England Development Agency.
The North-west Development Agency has now commissioned a further appraisal of the final version of its strategy. This, together with the appraisal of the draft strategy and the agency's response to this, will be available as a single document by the middle of December 1999. Advantage West Midlands have commissioned consultants to undertake an appraisal of their final strategy which will be available in the middle of December 1999.
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what sanctions may be applied to the Regional Development Agencies if they fail to act in accordance with the commitments made in their(a) published strategies, (b) action plans and (c) corporate plans. [98530]
§ Ms Beverley HughesThe RDAs have to operate within the standard framework which applies to all non-departmental public bodies. They are accountable to Ministers and, through them, Parliament. Performance against delivery of the RDAs' strategies, action plans and corporate plans will be an important factor in decisions on the allocation of future resources.
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he has taken to ensure that the Regional Development Agencies have, in their strategies, properly addressed their responsibilities in relation to rural areas. [98532]
§ Ms Beverley HughesGuidance on the formulation of the strategies was issued to the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) on 31 March 1999. This outlined how the RDAs should seek to meet their statutory duty under 21W Section 4 of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998, which states that the RDAs' purposes apply as much to the rural parts of their areas as the non-rural parts.
Supplementary, non-statutory, guidance on the formulation of the strategies was issued at the same time, which included a chapter on rural issues.
§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he has taken to ensure that the Regional Development Agencies' duty to promote sustainable development is adequately reflected in their strategies. [98529]
§ Ms Beverley HughesGuidance on the formulation of the strategies was issued to the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) on 31 March 1999. This outlined how the RDAs should seek to meet their statutory duty under Section 4 of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998, to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in the UK, where it is relevant to its area to do so.
The guidance specifies that an appraisal of the contribution the strategy will make to sustainable development should be produced.