House of Commons - Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Fifth Report

6 Role of RDAs, Government Offices and local authorities

General trend of devolving the delivery of rural policies

61. In her statement to the House, the Secretary of State said that she would "devolve decision making and funding for economic regeneration to the regional development agencies, to allow decisions better to reflect the needs and pressures in each region".[109] The Minister provided more detail on the Government's intentions, when giving evidence. From April 2005, the RDAs

will be put into a position where they are delivering against a tasking framework which will ensure that the rural dimension of their work features high on their primarily economic agenda. We are also involved in devolving decisions and devolving funding closer to the community and to the customer. We have set up eight rural pathfinders last month which are all about delivering at the local level with local authorities in a lead role.[110]

Increased responsibilities for RDAs

62. The increased role for the RDAs, in terms of rural development, will include:

the transfer of Countryside Agency funding for socio-economic programmes to the RDAs from April 2005, creating integrated rural funding programmes

RDAs assuming full responsibility for managing the delivery of socio-economic programmes under the England Rural Development Programme from 2007 (RDAs will also have an increased management role, working with partners on the current schemes for this programme from April 2005 during this transition period)

additional resources from the Countryside Agency increasing RDA expertise in innovation, countryside issues, research and rural development

the development of an improved business support mechanism for companies and organisations in rural areas in line with the existing and emerging regionally-based business support provided by RDAs and partners

RDAs working with partners at a regional and local level across the public, private, community and voluntary sectors to achieve better results from the programmes which benefit rural areas.[111]

63. The Secretary of State also announced that she was "increasing the funding Defra provides to the RDAs' single pot from £45 million to £72 million" in 2005-06.[112] However, the RDAs told us that only £21.3 million of this increase was allocated directly to fund the new responsibilities arising from the Rural Strategy.[113]

64. England's RDAs seemed optimistic about their new role. They were "particularly welcoming of the devolution of delivery detailed in the Rural Strategy 2004" and were "excited by the increased opportunities, not only from the Defra additions to the single pot, but actually from the opportunities of other new responsibilities, new roles and functions".[114]

65. However, Lord Haskins sounded a cautionary note on the way Defra seemed to be devolving responsibilities to the RDAs. He felt there was some "second-guessing going on", with Defra attaching very prescriptive conditions to the extra money it was giving to the RDAs.[115] He seemed to echo CRE's concerns that the approach to decentralisation was in danger of being too much from the perspective of the centre.[116] Lord Haskins concluded: "we have to judge the RDAs and the local authorities and the people on the ground on their own merits and people on the receiving end should say this is working or not working".[117]

66. During our visit to Cambridgeshire, we were told how important it was for the spending programme to be driven by regional rural priorities. Our interlocutors agreed that the current England Rural Development Programme had suffered through lack of flexibility, and they felt it was essential that any future programme was not strait-jacketed by central government in the same way.

67. We welcome the Government's desire to move away from centralised target-setting for those delivering services at the regional and local level. However, the Government's approach to devolving rural delivery will only work if there is real empowerment at the local level and this must be reflected in the way the priorities for local spending are determined: they should arise from local needs, locally understood. Actual responsibility must be handed down to regional and local government and agencies, away from the constraints of central government. Defra must make clear, in detail, exactly what it expects local government's role to be in the new architecture for delivering rural services.

Do the RDAs have too much of an urban focus?

68. The RDAs' suitability for taking on rural responsibilities under the Rural Strategy was criticised by some, on the grounds that not all RDAs are particularly sensitive to the needs of rural communities.[118] However, the National Farmers' Union sought to counter the perception that the RDAs were too urban-focussed. It noted its own experience which "shows that there are in fact excellent examples of RDA rural-focused programmes and partnership working, much of which originated following the Foot and Mouth crisis".[119]

69. England's RDAs were also keen to dispel these fears, arguing that, during the five years since they were established, they had "been involved integrally in rural development".[120] Advantage West Midlands also described its "investments into the rural western sub-region of the West Midlands" as being "quite considerable".[121] The RDAs did acknowledge, however, that there was more that they could do with respect to their environmental agenda.[122] The Minister argued that although RDAs were often seen as "urban and big scale", this was not their remit. RDAs were getting a new focus on rural areas, and indeed extra resources for this task. RDAs would fulfil the commitments of the Countryside Agency in respect of the schemes for which they are taking over responsibility, but should also develop other small and large scale schemes which meet the criteria of the rural dimension of their work.[123]

70. In response to the Sub-Committee's concerns about the ability of the RDAs to take on their new responsibilities by April 2005, the RDAs admitted that the first year was unlikely to be "a finished project".[124] The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) provided some further assurances on the timetable, when we visited its head office in December. EEDA told us then that some issues had been resolved which gave them added confidence that a robust plan would be in place by April 2005. In evidence to us on the draft Bill, EEDA, on behalf of England's RDAs, emphasized that RDAs were committed to ensuring that that legacy they inherited from the Countryside Agency was delivered. Furthermore, they would work in partnership with local authorities, including parish councils, and others, at regional and at sub-regional level, as well as engaging with local people and ensuring they were able to engage with the RDAs.[125]

71. The Regional Development Agencies will have a major role to play in the new arrangements for the delivery of rural economic policy, but to perform this role successfully they will need to work in partnership with other bodies, including local government. We welcome the RDAs' commitment to doing so. We anticipate that, initially, the abilities of RDAs to embrace the changes and cope with their new responsibilities will vary across the country, but some variation in performance is only to be expected when setting people free from the centralised straitjacket. We saw a very good Regional Development Agency in operation, on our trip to the East of England, and it is important that the RDAs in the other regions are brought up to a similarly high standard as quickly as possible. They are receiving additional resources for their new rural-focused tasks, and they should be expected to use this new funding effectively.

Role of Government Offices

72. Lord Haskins suggested that the Government Offices for the Regions should be lead coordinators and monitors of rural delivery activity.[126] Defra states that "each Government Office for the Regions has been asked to take the lead in their region to develop arrangements to prioritise and co-ordinate activity, funding and delivery, leading to a plan that sets out the priorities for action".[127] The Minister confirmed that the joined-up activity, at the regional level, would be focussed through 'Regional Delivery Frameworks', which would be "led by the Government Offices".[128] The schematic diagram, provided by Defra, shows how these frameworks are intended to play a central role in bringing together the elements of the rural delivery process.[129] Defra goes on to note that "the regional rural delivery framework is a key element in [the] simplification of what is already a complex picture at the regional level".[130]

73. Despite Defra's explanation, England's RDAs still thought the role of the Government Offices was not yet clear.[131] The Countryside Agency made a more general point when it suggested that "a great deal of work is needed to clarify the roles and responsibilities between bodies, whether in the Defra family or wider—as seen from the perspective of rural people and businesses".[132] The RSPB, CPRE, Wildlife Trusts and the Woodland Trust thought that the Government Offices might be able to take on roles of coordinating delivery, and brokering conflict resolution between agencies, but only on condition that they acquired the capacity to undertake this role and improved their credibility in terms of their environmental remit.[133]

74. With so many players involved in the delivery of the new arrangements, some form of mechanism needs to be established so that all their efforts can be properly coordinated. It is not obvious to us where the Government Offices for the Regions fit into the new arrangements. However, we note proposals from Defra and others that the Government Offices should play some kind of coordinating role, through the Regional Delivery Frameworks. We are attracted in principle to this approach, but would wish to be reassured that the Government Offices have the capacity, and the environmental credentials, to perform such a role effectively. We request that, in its response to our report, Defra explain in more detail how it sees the role of the Government Offices in coordinating the work of key players.

Responsibilities of local authorities

75. Lord Haskins stressed the important role he envisaged for local authorities.[134] The Rural Strategy also recognised "the crucial role played by local authorities as community leaders joining up services to deliver high quality services". However, several witnesses suggested local authorities could have been given more responsibilities.[135] The Countryside Agency was "surprised and concerned" at the apparent lack of attention given to the role of local authorities and, in particular, at the lack of recognition of "their crucial role in planning and facilitating the delivery of rural services and in many cases their direct delivery role".[136] CRE agreed that there was "very little in the Rural Strategy on what local authorities might do in terms of rural delivery".[137] It felt that Defra needed to "improve its understanding of the role of local authorities in local rural development", as well as establishing its credentials as a government department with a "legitimate interest in the work of local authorities".[138]

76. The Local Government Association (LGA) also felt there was insufficient involvement for local authorities in the Strategy. Councillor Alan Melton, Chairman of the LGA Rural Commission, said "we are on the ground, so to speak, we are local, we are accountable and we know our patches, and I would hope that in the future there will be a bigger role for the delivery of rural services via local government".[139] He went on to tell us that "several initiatives" provided "an ideal opportunity to demonstrate to yourselves, to government, to regional RDAs, that we can deliver".[140] In evidence to us on the draft Bill, LGA witnesses argued that the absence of references to local authorities in the draft Bill was less important than "working with the new agencies and with Defra to try and ensure that we do have a role later".[141] In discussing the draft Bill, the Minister made clear that the Government saw a role for local authorities as bodies to which functions of Defra, or other bodies, could be delegated by mutual consent.[142]

The local delivery pathfinders

77. Following its commitment in the Rural Strategy, Defra announced seven local delivery pathfinders to test practical ways of improving delivery in rural areas.[143] Defra said the pathfinders would "bring together local authorities, regional development agencies, the voluntary sector, community councils, and others, to develop better mechanisms for delivering what is needed, where it is needed most".[144]

78. The LGA welcomed this initiative, but felt it important that "the pathfinders receive support at all levels and from a variety of partners, for example from Defra, the Government Offices, RDAs and RCCs (Rural Community Councils)".[145] It also felt that Defra was more likely to trust the local authorities as a result of the pathfinder exercise. Councillor Whiteman of the LGA told us that "the whole idea of pathfinders [is] to see how new things can work, and I believe they will show that it can work".[146] LGA witnesses gave an update on the progress of the pathfinder projects during evidence on the draft Bill.[147]

79. However, England's RDAs expressed some reservations about the pathfinders, since the results will not be available until after RDAs have commenced implementation of their additional socio-economic funding role, which starts in April 2005, and after partners have started to deliver on the new Regional Rural Delivery Frameworks. The RDAs also feel there is a concern that the pathfinders "might duplicate work and structures and misdirect limited resource[,] rather than adding value".[148] The County Councils Network supported the pathfinders, and was concerned that transfer of functions to the RDAs in April 2005 appeared to pre-empt the results of the pathfinders.[149]

Regulatory role for local authorities

80. We have noted the support Lord Haskins gave in his review for the role of local government. In particular, he argued that "the Environment Agency should agree with local authorities a supplementary role in regulation and compliance".[150] He also felt that "local authorities should take the lead local role in co-ordinating general regulation and compliance advice on farm premises".[151] The LGA welcomed these recommendations, but was disappointed that "this was one of the areas which was least progressed during the development of the Strategy".[152]

81. The Environment Agency highlighted what it said were some "important issues, which need to be taken into account when considering a possible role for local authorities in delivering environmental legislation".[153] It stressed that the delivery of environmental outcomes was dependent on "nationally consistent high standards" and observed that "environmental issues do not respect administrative boundaries".[154] The Environment Agency felt local authorities were operating at "too local a scale" to deal with the "catchment based objectives" that were required to meet the objective of the Water Framework Directive.[155]

82. The Rural Strategy appears to provide only a modest role for local authorities. However, the thrust of the Strategy and the draft Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill is that different local contexts will mean that different local bodies will be appropriate for delivering services. We welcome the Minister's confirmation that local authorities are included among the bodies to which functions may be delegated under the draft Bill. We believe that in many cases local authorities will be the best local delivery agents, and that the responsibilities of local authorities, including parish councils, should be increased where they are able to prove their capabilities. It is crucial that the outcome of the rural pathfinder exercises is available as soon as possible to contribute to the establishment of their enhanced role.

Planning issues

83. One of the main strands of the Rural Strategy is supporting enterprise across rural England and increasing resources for rural economic and social development.[156] Many of the bodies we have discussed in this chapter of our report are involved in this kind of activity. They are also involved with, and affected by, the planning process. We welcome the Government's intention of promoting the regeneration of rural areas, but note that this may in some cases generate tensions with the way the planning system operates. We recommend that, in its response to our report, Defra sets out how it envisages the new arrangements for rural delivery will dovetail with the planning system. We further recommend that Defra consider reviewing, in conjunction with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the way the planning system currently operates in rural England.

109 HC Deb, 21 July 2004, col 329 Back

110 Q 280 Back

111 "RDAs promise a more customer-focused approach to support for rural areas", England's Regional Development Agencies press release, 21 July 2004 Back

112 HC Deb, 21 July 2004, col 329 Back

113 Q 66 Back

114 Ev 26; Q 64 Back

115 Q 128 Back

116 Ev 8 Back

117 Q 128 Back

118 For example: Tim Yeo MP, Farming Today , BBC Radio 4, 22 July 2004 Back

119 Ev 38 Back

120 Q 50 Back