§ Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is 41W taking to ensure that regional development agencies are responsible for promoting a sustainable energy policy within their region. [100455]
§ Ms Beverley HughesThe new UK Sustainable Development Strategy, published in May this year, said that the Government wished to see high level sustainable development frameworks for each English region by the end of 2000. These frameworks will set out a regional vision for sustainable development. They will need to have the support of a wide range of stakeholders and should be agreed by Regional Chambers. Although they will not be in the lead, RDAs will be one of the key partners in the preparation of frameworks.
One of the tasks identified for these frameworks will be to build consensus on how the national policy and target on renewable energy will be taken forward in each region. Government Offices are initiating work to produce regional assessments and targets for renewable energy provision based on regional resource studies. The Government hope that frameworks will draw upon this work and elaborate a regional approach to renewable energy delivery, including regional targets.
The frameworks should take account of issues raised by the RDA strategies for sustainable development and, in turn, will inform future revisions of the RDA strategies.
§ Mr. Alan CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people are employed by each of the regional development agencies; and what have been their administration costs since their establishment. [100464]
§ Ms Beverley HughesThe table shows the number of full-time equivalent staff in the Regional Development Agencies, as at 1 April 1999 (the most recent figures available); the administration costs for the period December 1998 to April 1999, when the Agencies were being set up; and administration budgets for the current financial year.
£000 Regional Development Agency Staff 1998–99 1999–2000 One North East 203 2,395 9,771 North West 1182 327 12,131 Yorkshire Forward 174.5 403 8,036 East Midlands 107 406 7,155 Advantage West Midlands 118.5 384 7,678 East of England 38 350 4,803 South East 60 411 5,225 South West 143 461 7,488 Total 1,026 5,137 62,287 1 Total staff, not full-time equivalents. No separate figure for part-time staff available.