§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what arrangements are in place to ensure that there is sufficient expertise on rural housing on Regional Housing Boards; [136038]
(2) if he will list the membership of each Regional Housing Board, indicating which members has responsibility for rural housing. [136039]
§ Keith HillRegional Housing Boards have been formed specifically to include representatives able to act collectively and corporately on all housing issues in their regions, including the needs of rural areas. Each Board is chaired by the Regional Director of the Government Office, the most senior official in each region responsible for rural affairs. Others, particularly the senior representatives from the Housing Corporation, carry rural issues as part of their wider remits. There has also been significant input from rural local authorities and others with an interest in rural issues in development by the Boards of Regional Housing Strategies. The Communities Plan, which introduced the Boards, makes clear that the Countryside Agency must be involved to ensure that all Strategies are rural proofed.
Board membership, quite rightly, varies to reflect regional variations. Current membership is tabled as follows: 796W
797W
Membership of the English Regional Housing Boards (as at October 2003) East Midlands Jane Todd Government Office for the East Midlands (Chair) Nick Reed Housing Corporation Alison Simpson East Midlands Development Agency Tony Aitchison East Midlands Regional Assembly Peter Springett English Partnerships David Lepper Countryside Agency Bob Walder Housing Task Group East of England Caroline Bowdler Government Office for the East of England (Chair) David Marlow East of England Regional Development Agency Brian Stewart East of England Regional Assembly Cllr Simon Woodbridge East of England Regional Assembly Cllr Paul Kirkman East of England Regional Assembly Cllr Trevor Millar East of England Regional Assembly Mick Sanders East of England Regional Housing Forum Denis Hone English Partnerships Nick Reed Housing Corporation John Dowie Government Office for the East of England John Street Government Office for the East of England London Liz Meek Government Office for London (Chair) Corinne Lyons Government Office for London Anthony Mayer Greater London Authority Neale Coleman Greater London Authority Mark Kleinman Greater London Authority Martin Pilgrim Association of London Government Genevieve Macklin Association of London Government Chris Wood Association of London Government Michael Ward London Development Agency Steven Douglas Housing Corporation Duncan Innes English Partnerships North East Jonathan Blackie Government Office for the North East (Chair) Diana Pierce Government Office for the North East Alan Clarke One North East (North East RDA) John Walker English Partnerships Cllr Peter Mole North East Housing Forum Cllr Alan Napier North East Regional Assembly John Carleton Housing Corporation Jolyon Harrison House Builders Federation Evelyn Kemp North East Council for Tenants and Residents Cllr Bob Brady Association of North East Councils North West Keith Barnes Government Office for the North West (Chair) John Carleton Housing Corporation Steve Machin North West Regional Assembly David Shelton English Partnerships Cllr Noel Spencer North West Housing Forum Wayne Shand North West Development Agency Peter Styche Government Office for the North West South East Paul Martin Government Office for the South East (Chair) Mark Bilsborough Government Office for the South East Colin Byrne Government Office for the South East Paul Hudson SEEDA (South East England Development Agency) Mike Gwilliam South East Regional Assembly Clive Turner Housing Corporation Trevor Beattie English Partnerships Cllr Keith House SEEDA (South East England Development Agency) Sheila Drew Smith Housing Corporation Cllr Keith Mitchell South East Regional Assembly Cllr Don Turner South East Regional Assembly Cllr Paul Bizzell South East Regional Assembly Douglas Homer South East Regional Assembly Sharon Hedges South East Regional Assembly
Membership of the English Regional Housing Boards (as at October 2003) East Midlands South West Jane Henderson Government Office for the South West (Chair) Thoss Shearer Government Office for the South West Clive Turner Housing Corporation Malcolm Hanney South West Regional Assembly Bryoney Houlden South West Regional Assembly Colin Moulton South West Regional Development Agency Duncan Innes English Partnerships Pat Crowson Local Government Association John Barley National Housing Federation David Seaton House Builders Federation West Midlands Graham Garbutt Government Office for the West Midlands (Chair) Nick Reed Housing Corporation John Edwards Advantage West Midlands (West Midlands RDA) Simon Hodgson West Midlands Regional Assembly Peter Murray English Partnerships Steve Gregory Regional Housing Partnership Rose Poulter West Midlands Local Government Association Phillipa Holland Government Office for the West Midlands Yorkshire and the Humber Felicity Everiss Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber (Chair) Martin Havenhand Yorkshire Forward (Yorkshire and Humber RDA) Liz Kerry Yorkshire and Humber Assembly Cllr Peter Box Yorkshire and Humber Assembly John Carleton Housing Corporation Mike Gahagan South Yorkshire Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder Stuart Whyte Hull and E. Riding Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder David Carr English Partnerships Cllr Richard Lewis Yorkshire and Humberside Housing Forum Michael Hall Yorkshire and Humberside Housing Forum John Kirkham Yorkshire and Humberside Housing Forum