Memorandum submitted by the English Regions
Network (Appendix 14)
1. The English Regions network represents
all eight English Regional Assemblies.
As Regional Assemblies we are responsible for
integrating regional strategies, regional spatial and transport
planning and the scrutiny of Regional Development Agencies and
as a result to date we have contributed actively to the Haskins
Review of Rural Delivery and the Rural Strategy 2004.
Owing to the short consultation timescale it
has not possible for all Assemblies to discuss the attached submission
below with their Regional Assembly Members. The submission represents
ERN's initial response to the draft Bill.
MEMBERSHIP OF
THE INTEGRATED
AGENCY BOARD
AND THE
COMMISSION FOR
RURAL COMMUNITIES
2. There should be provision within the
Bill for Regional Assemblies, as representative bodies for their
regions, to make recommendations to the Secretary of State on
membership. Additionally their could be provision for there to
be a designated member of the Board for each of the English regions.
GENERAL PURPOSES
(CHAPTER 1 SECTION
2 AND CHAPTER
2 SECTION 18) IA AND
CRC WORKING WITH
OTHER PUBLIC
AGENCIES
3. The general purpose of the IA and the
CRC should include a clear reference to the need to work with
other public sector agencies at the regional level in support
of regional strategies and plans. Especially where those strategies
and plans have statutory backing such as the Regional Spatial
Strategy and the Regional Economic Strategy, and those which have
broad regional ownership, such as Integrated Regional Strategies.
This is particularly important in enabling regional flexibility
in how the IA operates and recognising that different modes of
delivery will be appropriate in different regions.
4. There is a need for clearer direction
in the Bill on the role of other agencies who have an influence
on the purposes of the IA. The extent to which agencies need to
co-operate to achieve common objectives, strategies and plans
has increased sharply and is itself a key component of sustainable
development. There is a need for stronger direction in the Bill
to the role of Regional Assemblies as Regional Planning Bodies
(RPB)and as regional representative bodies. Similarly, there should
be reference to the role of RDAs who through their new role in
rural delivery will also play an increasingly important role in
shared agendas for the environment.
STRONGER COMMITMENT
TO SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
5. Although reference to the commitment
to sustainable development is made clearly in the adjoining policy
statement, references in the draft bill are rather vague. This
maybe because it is rather difficult to define and therefore difficult
to explain in more length in legislation, however it is such an
important issue that it is a weakness that there is no requirement
to work within the provisions of the UK Sustainable Development
Strategy or the Regional Sustainable Development Framework or
corresponding strategy. We think the statements around sustainable
development should be strengthened for both the new Agencies and
those partners who wish to co-operate with them.
REGIONAL ASSEMBLIES
AS REGIONAL
PLANNING BODIES
6. The accompanying policy statement is
generally very helpful but does not make clear reference to the
role of Regional Assemblies as the designated regional planning
bodies. The role of RAs as the RPBs and the requirements of the
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 are severely under-represented
in both the draft Bill and the accompanying policy statement.
This needs to be addressed or risks sending contrary signals about
the importance of the new spatial planning process where planning
is also expected to deliver outcomes for the environment and sustainable
development.
JOINED UP
GOVERNMENT POLICY
7. While it would not be expected that primary
legislation setting up new agencies would make detailed reference
to government initiatives such as the Sustainable Communities
plans, the paucity of reference to the other established contextual
policies and plans that directly impinge on the duties of the
new IA is a concern. Issues of enormous significance such as brownfield
land, housing, devolved delivery on housing and transport policy
etc will play a major part of the ability of the IA to achieve
its purposes.
IA REGIONAL STRATEGIES
8. Although it might be regarded as a departure
for primary legislation concerned with the setting up of new national
bodies, the precedent of requiring that regionally focussed strategies
and plans are produced was set in the Regional Development Agencies
Act with the Regional Economic Strategies. A requirement that
the IA working with Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission
have a requirement to produce regionally based strategies and
plans should be written into the Bill.
JOINED UP
DEFRA AGENCIES
9. The Policy Statement makes clear the
need for the DEFRA family of agencies to co-operate closely, however
this needs to be more clearly set out in the legislation in some
form. In practice the roles will still be quite confusing to other
agencies and some attempt could be made in the Bill to make this
clearer.
SCRUTINY ROLE
10. The Bill should acknowledge Regional
Assembly scrutiny activities which are aimed at improving the
delivery of policy at a regional level. ERN would a scrutiny role
for Assemblies over the regional activities of the IA to be explored.
REVIEW AND
RESEARCH (CHAPTER
1 SECTIONS 3 AND
4)
11. The Bill should provide stronger emphasis
on the IA working within a clear evidence base. The IA will need
to work in partnership with other agencies, and at a regional
level with the Regional Observatories, to share information and
provide a robust evidence base for policy development and decision-making.
12. The ERN also seeks clarification over
the provisions in section 10 (Advisory and consultancy work) that
"At the request of the Agency, the public authority must
inform the Agency in writing whether the advice has been rejected
and, if so, why" and what implications this would have
for the public authority, particularly in relation to the carrying
out of statutory functions. There could be resource implications
arising from this requirement, which would need to be recognized.
English Regions Network
February 2005
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