Formal Minutes
Monday 5 March 2007
Members present:
Dr Phyllis Starkey, in the Chair
| Mr Clive Betts
John Cummings
Martin Horwood
Anne Main
| | Mr Bill Olner
Dr John Pugh
Emily Thornberry
David Wright
|
Is there a future for Regional Government?
Draft Report (Is there a future for Regional Government?),
proposed by the Chairman, brought up and read.
Ordered, That the draft Report be read a second time, paragraph
by paragraph.
Paragraphs 1 to 9 read and agreed to.
A paragraph—(Martin Horwood)—brought up, read
the first and second time, and added (now paragraph 10)
Paragraphs 10 and 11 (now paragraphs 11 and 12) read and agreed
to.
Paragraph 12 (now paragraph 13) read, as follows:
"The development of regional governance in the current phase
can be described as incremental. Following the establishment of
the Government Offices (GOs) the Government perceived other institutions
to be necessary in the regions "to exploit indigenous strengths
and to address weaknesses". Regional assemblies—which
were at their inception intended by the Government to become elected
bodies—were created in 1998-99 as "inclusive strategic
bodies 'of the region' [bringing] together representatives from
key sectors across the region […] in an ideal position to
contribute to and ensure consistency across regional strategies".
The assemblies are closely involved, as consultees, in the work
of the Regional Development Agencies, which were established in
1999 to develop and co-ordinate regional economic development
and regeneration. Since 2004 the assemblies have also had responsibility
for preparing a regional spatial strategy, and in 2006 they took
over the work of the regional housing boards (themselves established
in 2003 to prepare regional housing strategies). Regional skills
partnerships were created between 2003 and 2005."
An Amendment made.
Another Amendment proposed, in line 13, after "strategies)."
to insert the words:
"The model of regional authority which has emerged involves
the transfer of powers up from local authorities as much as down
from central government. The Regional Assemblies could have been
an opportunity to redress the over-centralisation of Government
in the United Kingdom. This would have avoided some of the concerns
mentioned at paragraphs [??-??] of our report, below".—(Martin
Horwood).
Question put, That the Amendment be made.
The Committee divided.
Ayes, 2
Martin Horwood
John Pugh
| | Noes 5
Mr Clive Betts
Anne Main
Mr Bill Olner
Emily Thornberry
David Wright
|
Another Amendment made.
Paragraph 12, as amended, divided and agreed to (now paragraphs
13 and 14).
Paragraphs 13 to 23 (now paragraphs 15 to 25) read and agreed
to.
Paragraph 24 (now paragraph 26) read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 25 to 34 (now paragraphs 27 to 36) read and agreed
to.
Paragraph 35 (now paragraph 37) read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 36 (now paragraph 38) read and agreed to.
Paragraph 37 (now paragraph 39) read, as follows:
"We welcome the main conclusions of the Government's Review
of the Government Offices, and we believe that a stronger focus
on strategy and analysis—reflected in a revised staffing
complement—will enable the Government Offices to work more
effectively alongside other regional and local partners. However,
there is an urgent need for central Government to take responsibility
for streamlining and co-ordinating its own requirements of the
Government Offices. It is neither sensible nor reasonable for
each Government department to continue to press its own agenda
on the Government Offices without regard to the requirements of
others, and without consideration of the GOs' own strategic agenda.
We look to DCLG's Ministerial team to provide the necessary leadership
in Whitehall to ensure a more coherent, joined-up approach to
the mandates of the Government Offices. The range of PSA-related
targets being implemented by the Government Offices should also
be reviewed in order to ensure that resources are being directed
effectively to deliver the most important outcomes."
Amendment proposed, at the end to add the words:
"As Ms Hill of the Government Office South West noted, part
of the Government Office's role is to mediate between local and
national views. It should be possible for the Government Offices
to act as a better conduit for regional opinion to central Government,
through research with the public, stakeholders and elected representatives.".—(Martin
Horwood).
Question proposed, That the Amendment be made:—Amendment,
by leave, withdrawn.
Paragraph agreed to.
Paragraphs 38 to 45 (now paragraphs 40 to 47) read and agreed
to.
Paragraph 46 (now paragraph 48) read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 47 to 50 (now paragraphs 49 to 52) read and agreed
to.
Paragraph 51 (now paragraph 53) read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 52 (now paragraph 54) read and agreed to.
Paragraph 53 (now paragraph 55) read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 54 (now paragraph 56) read and agreed to.
Paragraph 55 (now paragraph 57) read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 56 (now paragraph 58) read and agreed to.
Paragraph 57 (now paragraph 59) read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 58 to 62 (now paragraphs 60 to 64) read and agreed
to.
Paragraph 63 (now paragraph 65) read, as follows:
"Sustainable development is critical to our continued economic,
social and environmental well-being, and is most likely to be
achieved by paying close attention to local circumstances. It
is too soon to tell if the Government's approach to regional action
on sustainable development will lead to positive, measurable outcomes.
As a starting point, the Government should ensure that the requirements
it has set for the regional institutions in Securing the regions'
futures (which we have summarised in paragraph 62) are fully met.
It should also take further steps to encourage and disseminate
best practice in sustainability appraisal, and to ensure that
lines of accountability for performance against sustainable development
targets and actions are clear."
Amendment proposed, to leave out paragraph 63 and insert:
"Sustainability should be the top priority without which
economic and social progress will be impossible. It should therefore
be the top priority of RDAs and should be clearly understood as
sustainability in environmental terms relating for instance to
the use of water, protection of biodiversity and the reduction
of greenhouse gas emissions.".—(Martin Horwood)
Question, That the Amendment be made, put and negatived.
An Amendment made.
Paragraph, as amended, agreed to.
Paragraphs 64 to 72 (now paragraph 66 to 74) read and agreed to.
Paragraph 73 (now paragraph 75) read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 74 to 85 (now paragraphs 76 to 87) read and agreed
to.
Paragraph 86 (now paragraph 88) read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 87 to 90 (now paragraphs 89 to 92) read and agreed
to.
Paragraph 91 (now paragraph 93) read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 92 to 103 (now paragraphs 94 to 105) read and agreed
to.
Paragraph 104 (now paragraph106) read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 105 to 116 (now paragraphs 107 to 118) read and agreed
to.
Paragraph 117 (now paragraph 119) read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 118 to 137 (now paragraphs 120 to 139) read and agreed
to.
Paragraph 138 (now paragraph 140) read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 139 to 180 (now paragraphs 141 to 182) read and agreed
to.
Paragraph 181 (now paragraph 183) read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 182 to 184 (now paragraphs 184 to 186) read and agreed
to.
Paragraph 185 (now paragraph 187) read, amended and agreed to.
Annexes read and agreed to.
Resolved, That the Report be the Fourth Report of the Committee
to the House.
Ordered, That the Chairman make the Report to the House.
Ordered, That embargoed copies of the Report be made available,
in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order No. 134.
[Adjourned till Monday 19 March at twenty past Four o'clock.
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