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North West Development Agency
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what are (a) the name of the landlord and (b) the address of the site of the new premises to be occupied by the North West Development Agency and related activities in Penrith, Cumbria; [88767]
- (2) what the terms of the lease are for the property to be occupied by English Partnerships and other North West Development Agency operations at Penrith; [88758]
(3) what assessment has been made of the comparative costs of locating North West Development Agency activities in premises (a) owned by English Partnerships in Cockermouth and (b) rented in Penrith. [88768]
Mr. Meale [holding answer 6 July 1999]: Decisions on location are a matter for the North West Development Agency. I understand that the Agency has not yet taken a final decision on the location of the Penrith office. Discussions are underway with Allen Commercial Development Agency in respect of a building on the Penrith 40 Business Park at Junction 40 of the M6.
The annual rental costs and other terms of a lease are thus still under negotiation but I understand that the rental cost may be in the order of £10 per square foot. The opportunity cost of the Agency occupying the premises in Cockermouth transferred to it from English Partnership is about £4.50 per square foot.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the names of those organisations and individuals who nominated each member of the Board of the North West Development Agency. [89062]
Mr. Meale:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 6 July 1999, Official Report, columns 449-50.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the role of officials in the North West Region in the nomination and selection of each person appointed to the Board of the North West Development Agency. [89063]
Mr. Meale:
The appointment of members to the Board of the Regional Development Agencies was carried out in accordance with the Code of Practice and Guidance laid down by Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Government Offices in the Regions were involved in the sift of candidates and the interviews. Independent assessors participated at the sift and interview stages to
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ensure independent scrutiny of the process, and that the appointments procedures were fair and consistently applied. The final decisions on the appointments were made by Ministers.
Mr. Kemp:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans the Government have for a direct Channel Tunnel rail link with the north east of England. [90257]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister announced on 28 January 1999, Official Report, columns 340-41, the commissioning of a thorough and independent review of regional Channel Tunnel services. On 17 June the consultancy firm Arthur D. Little were appointed to undertake this review, and it is underway. The review will be thorough and wide ranging in its consideration of alternative options. It will, in particular, seek to assess the regional economic and social benefits of regional Eurostar services, and will examine the proposals put forward by the Virgin Group and the report produced last year by Inter-Capital and Regional Rail Ltd. The final report is due to be submitted at the end of October, and we expect to make a statement to the House before the end of the year.
Mr. Bennett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects the M60 from (a) Denton to Hollinwood and (b) Hollinwood to Middleton to open. [90320]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
I have asked the Chief Executive Agency, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Peter Nutt to Mr. Andrew F. Bennett, dated 8 July 1999:
Mrs. Humble:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made on the review of the needs indices used in the allocation of housing capital resources to local authorities and registered social landlords. [90503]
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Ms Armstrong:
A consultation paper is to be published today seeking views on a number of proposals for revisions to the needs indices to be used in the allocation of resources for 2000-01. The Paper will also seek views on a number of issues on the longer term development of the indices. Copies are being placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what part English Partnerships will play in the implementation of the report by the Urban Task Force "Towards an Urban Renaissance". [90280]
Mr. Caborn:
The Government are currently considering the recommendations of the Urban Task Force report "Towards an Urban Renaissance". As part of this, English Partnerships will fully contribute its thinking.
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what budget each regional development agency has for the year 1999-2000; [90284]
Mr. Caborn:
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Dudley, South (Mr. Pearson) by the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Mr. Meale), on 17 May 1999, Official Report, columns 246-48, which gave details of resource allocations to regional development agencies (RDAs) for this financial year. In the last financial year, when they were set up, RDAs received grant in aid of £5.138 million.
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much in grants has been allocated by each regional development agency since its inception. [90286]
Mr. Caborn:
Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) took on their executive functions on 1 April 1999. Between then and 30 June RDAs have paid the following amounts in grant:
The Transport Minister, Glenda Jackson, has asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Lawrie Haynes, to reply to your recent question about expected opening dates for the M60 Denton to Hollinwood and M60 Hollinwood to Middleton road contracts. I am replying in Lawrie's absence from the office.
Contract 1: Denton to Medlock (Hollinwood in your question) was awarded in 1996 as a three year contract in the then traditional form in which much of the risk remains with the Highways Agency. Problems arose on this contract due largely to a lack of suitable clay material to construct a replacement dam. An extension to the contract period was granted to summer 2000. Suitable materials have now been identified and the contract is on course for completion in summer 2000.
Contract 3: Medlock to Middleton was awarded as a 26 month design and build contract in April 1998, using the Agency's new procurement strategy. This contract has been selected as one of the demonstration projects under the Egan "Rethinking Contract" initiative. This is one of the 50 projects selected to demonstrate the commitment of government and industry to improve the industry's performance by identifying and delivering best practice. It remains on schedule for completion in summer 2000.
(2) what were the set-up costs of the regional development agencies; and how much are the projected running costs for the current financial year; [90285]
| RDA | £ million |
|---|---|
| One North East | 0.762 |
| North West | 1.310 |
| Yorkshire Forward | 2.558 |
| East Midlands | 1.434 |
| Advantage West Midlands | 0.981 |
| East of England | 0.311 |
| South East | 2,117 |
| South West | 3.020 |
English Partnerships
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much public money will be received by English Partnerships in 1999-2000 and 2000-01. [90281]
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Mr. Caborn:
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours) by the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Mr. Meale) on 6 July 1999, Official Report, column 448.
Mr. Redwood:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how much money English Partnerships has granted to British industry in the latest year for which figures are available; [90282]
Mr. Caborn:
The principal means of support for British industry is through English Partnerships Partnership Investment Programme (PIP). Grant in aid for PIP amounted to £200.7 million in 1998-99 and there is planned expenditure of £185 million in 1999-2000.
(2) how much money English Partnerships plans to provide in grant to British industry over the next financial year. [90283]
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