Examination of Witnesses (Questions 398
- 399)
WEDNESDAY 24 MARCH 2004
MR KEVIN
BISHOP, MR
TIM HOOPER,
CLLR MICHAEL
JONES, CLLR
DAVID SPARKS
OBE AND CLLR
GORDON KEYMER
CBE
Q398 Chairman: Perhaps I can begin
by apologising for the lateness of the start. Since the House
hours have changed we have had these problems with divisions interfering
with our business and it is very difficult to find any time of
the day now when we can get on with the business. Can you start
by introducing yourselves please?
Cllr Keymer: I am Gordon Keymer.
I am Leader of Tandridge District Council which is in East Surrey,
Peter Ainsworth's seat. I am also a member of the Committee for
the Regions where I am Vice Chairman of the Cotter(?) Committee
which is responsible for structural funds. In that connection
I have also been a rapporteur on the Opinion on Better Law Making
and Streamlining the Community Acquis and I am at the moment working
on an opinion on the part played by low cost airlines and low
air fares on regional economic development. This, of course, covers
aspects of state aid and the third Cohesion Report.
Cllr Sparks: I am David Sparks
and I am here today as the Chair of the Local Government Association's
Economic Regeneration Executive. As such I have a brief for regionalism.
In particular I also chair the group which involves Gordon on
the European structural funds, the interface between the LGA and
Brussels and also the UK government. In addition, in relation
to your inquiry and listening to the questions earlier, I am very
much involved in the regeneration of the West Midlands and have
recently finished as a board member of the West Midlands Regional
Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands, and have been involved
in numerous similar initiatives over the last 30 years. Finally,
in that same period I worked as a careers adviser in Birmingham,
so I am also involved at the receiving end as it were in terms
of the creation (or otherwise) of jobs.
Cllr Jones: I am Michael Jones.
I am a member of Powys County Council. I am Chairman of the Board
for Powys. I am also a deputy spokesman for the WLGA for economic
development.
Mr Bishop: Kevin Bishop. I am
Head of Environment and Regeneration at WLGA.
Mr Hooper: Tim Hooper. I am Policy
Officer for Regeneration at the WLGA.
Q399 Mr Caton: In recent years we
have seen the development of a number of Techniums in Wales. What
is the involvement of local government in these?
Cllr Jones: The role of local
government is to very much to support WDA and other agencies but
not to be directly involved in the Techniums. There are a number
within Wales and one of the problems is that some authorities
would like to see the scheme extended to their areas but are unable
to do so and that is a frustration. Flintshire, for example, would
like to see it extended to their area but they are not in an Objective
One or an Objective Two area so they find this very difficult
and slightly frustrating.
Mr Bishop: The important role
for local authorities within the Techniums is the way in which
you embed the Techniums within the local economy and build on
the strengths of the Techniums. A good example of that would be
the work of Neath Port Talbot on Baglan Energy Park which we gave
you rough details of in our submission.
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