§ Sir Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the evidence used by his Department to support proposals for the devolution of powers and functions to elected regional assemblies. [76219]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThis information is set out in the regional governance White Paper "Your Region, Your Choice" (Cm 5511) as part of the rationale for the Government's proposals to give each English region the opportunity to choose whether to have an elected assembly. Elected regional assemblies will have real power and funding to improve the quality of life of people in their region— particularly by improving regional economic performance.
Assemblies will have powers to make a difference in key areas such as jobs, transport, housing, culture and environment. And their block grant will give them much greater freedom to allocate spending according to regional priorities. This offers the prospect of tailored regional solutions to regional problems. It strikes a balance between those issues that are best dealt with at a regional level and those that are best dealt with at a national or a local level. Our proposals for elected assemblies in the English regions will bring decision-making closer to the people and make government more efficient, more effective and more accountable.
The evidence base includes the information presented in "Regional Government in England: a preliminary review of literature and research findings" (published by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions in 2000). Other relevant documentation is included in the White Paper's bibliography (annex J). The Government's approach to determining which powers and functions should become the responsibility of elected regional assemblies is described in chapter 4 of the White Paper. Copies of the documents referred to are available in the Library.