HC Deb 13 February 2004 vol 418 c67W
Mr. Goodman

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether regional development agencies only fund organisations located within the regions they serve; and if she will make a statement. [155981]

Jacqui Smith

Section 4 of the Regional Development Act 1998 sets out the five purposes of the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). These purposes relate to the region covered by the RDA. RDAs may fund organisations, located outside their regions, if this benefits their regions and furthers their strategic objectives for the region.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of regional development agencies(a) achieved their targets and (b) delivered their regional economic strategies and corporate plans in the last year for which figures are available. [153585]

RDA Number of staff Total salary bill (£000) Average salary per employee (£) Midyear population estimate for 20021 Proportion of staff salary per 1,000 head of population (£)
AWM 216 9,159 42,403 5,304,124 1,726.77
EEDA 139 5,435 39,101 5,420,360 1,002.70
EMDA 170 5,569 32,759 4,215,492 1,321.08
LDA 236 7,541 31,953 7,355,354 1,025.24
NWDA 291 10,784 37,058 6,770,981 1,592.68
ONE 249 9,186 36,892 2,513,274 3,654.99
SEEDA 182 8,118 44,604 8,037,140 1,010.06
SWRDA 227 7,546 33,242 4,959,593 1,521.50
YF 282 10,004 35,475 4,982,503 2,007.81
1Source
Midyear Population Estimates: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Copies of RDA annual reports are placed in the Libraries of the House and are available on the internet. Figures for the current financial year should be published on RDA websites the following May.