§ 23. Dr. George TurnerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent discussions he has had with the English regional development agencies on strengthening the regional aspects of policies and programmes for supporting agriculture. [107905]
§ Mr. MorleyI met Vincent Watts, Chairman of the East of England Development Agency, and Rural Board Members and officials from the other RDAs on 27 January. We had a useful discussion about the England Rural Development Plan 2000–06 among other issues. The ERDP contains proposals for supporting the rural economy of each region, tailored to meet specific regional needs, which were drawn up in full collaboration with the RDAs and other regional partners.