§ Baroness Gould of Potternewtonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made in implementing the Performance and Innovation Unit's report Reaching Out: the role of central government at regional and local level. [HL4380]
§ The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton)Reaching Out was published in February 2000. The Government accepted all of its 81 conclusions.
A key conclusion was that there should be new co-ordination arrangements. The Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) was established in April. In line with the report's recommendation, the RCU is an inter-departmental unit based in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. It reports to the Deputy Prime Minister, under my day-to-day direction.
The RCU has prepared an action plan identifying the key areas in which we need a new approach to developing and implementing government policy with regional implications. The plan will be published on Friday 27 October and copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The plan will also be published on the website, together with a summary of progress on implementing the 81 detailed conclusions of the PIU report. The website reference is www.government-offices.gov.uk.