§ Tom BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in implementing Recommendation 17 of the report, Strategy Development and Partnership Working in the RDAs. [10932]
§ Ms Hewitt[holding answer 29 October 2001]: The RDAs have taken on board Recommendation 17 of the DETR report on Strategy Development and Partnership Working in the RDAs. The principles for successful partnership working used in the original development of the Regional Economic Strategies are now reflected in the preparation of RDA Action Plans and the revision of their RESs. Under a new fund worth f15 million over three years, the regional chambers have been awarded a total of £5 million in 2000–01 to enhance their RDA scrutiny role and thus strengthen regional accountability. Part of that scrutiny will be a closer involvement in the revision of strategy process.
§ Tom BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the report "Reaching Out The Role of Central Government at Regional and Local Level" that there should be(a) a review of the regional development agencies' first year performance and (b) a review of the relationship between the strategies of the regional development agencies and regional planning guidance. [10931]
§ Ms Hewitt[holding answer 29 October 2001]: Ministers took the RDA's first year performance into account in determining the framework of targets the RDAs should follow under the Single Programme Budget, which was announced on 9 March 2001. The RDAs' Regional Strategies and the Regional Planning Guidance are being treated as equal and complementary documents.