§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if she will make a statement on measures to improve public awareness of the roles of regional development agencies; [41903]
(2) if she will make a statement on the costs of measures to raise public awareness of the roles of regional development agencies over the next three years. [41904]
§ Alan JohnsonSignificant developments in the role of the regional development agencies have been and will continue to he publicised through departmental Press1080W Notices. In addition the DTI maintains information on the RDAs on its website. Ministers will continue to raise public awareness of the role of RDAs through speeches and in other ways. There are no specific plans to hold additional events to raise public awareness.
It is for the RDAs to ensure that they maintain a sufficient public profile in their regions to fulfil their role as the champions of regional economic development, and to ensure public awareness of their activities. Press Notices, publication of their various strategies, their corporate plans and their annual reports, and maintaining websites are some of the ways in which they do this.