§ Mr. PicklesTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what were the administrative costs of(a) regional development agencies, (b) government offices for the regions and (c) regional chambers, in each region, this year; what the projected costs are for the next financial year; and if he will make a statement. [79669]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe available estimates for 2002–03 are in the table below.
The figures for the voluntary regional chambers show only Government grant. The remainder of their costs is a matter for the chambers themselves.
Projected costs for 2003–04 are not available, except for voluntary regional chambers which continue to have available Government grant of £600,000 each.
613W
Regional Regional Development Agency Government Office Voluntary Regional Chamber North East £16,722,000 £8,658,690 £600,000 North West £19,921,000 £13,852,480 £600,000 Yorkshire & the Humber £14,750,000 £9,520,690 £600,000 East Midlands West £10,467,000 £7,395,220 £600,000 West Midlands £13,500,000 £9,213,410 £600,000 South West £13,975,000 £9,418,630 £600,000 East of England £7,245,000 £7,704,080 £600,000 South East £12,839,000 £9,249,800 £600,000 London £14,044,000 £12,215,670 n/a
§ Mr. PicklesTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many written representations he has received in the last 12 months expressing support for elected regional assemblies; and if he will make a statement. [79668]
§ Mr. RaynsfordI refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for St. Ives (Andrew George) on 23 October 2002,Official Report, column 389W.
Further to that reply, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has now received over 1,200 individual responses to the White Paper Your Region, Your Choice, which we published on 9 May. I will write to the hon. Member once our analysis of these responses has been completed. In the six months prior to the publication of the White Paper we also received a number of letters and other enquiries about the Government's policy on elected regional assemblies.