Memorandum by the East Midlands Development
Agency (EMDA) (RG 104)
I am pleased that the Select Committee on the
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is conducting this important
inquiry, and that the full range of stakeholders have been invited
to give evidence, including my colleagues from three Regional
Development Agencies, who appeared before the Committee on 15
May. I would particularly like to draw your attention to one element
of the RDAs' evidence.
At the hearing attended by my colleagues, the
possibility of adopting a system of Regional Ministers was discussed
briefly, and as you may have seen, has attracted some attention
in the public policy press, for example in the latest issue of
RDA News and in Regeneration and Renewal. This proposal was one
of several mooted in the collective RDA memorandum to the inquiry,
to which emda contributed. Indeed, the Regional Minister
model was suggested by emda and draws on the ideas set
out in Towards a Modern Regional Policy by the Smith Institute,
produced in association with emda in 2004[14].
Whilst the Regional Minister model is one of a range of options
that could be taken forward, I believe it is a particularly compelling
one which could strengthen regional autonomy whilst simultaneously
empowering local government, whether in the form of unitary authorities,
county councils, or city-regional authorities. Regional Ministers
would, in all probability, be Ministers from departments with
the biggest interest in regional affairs, and would carry out
their duties as Regional Ministers in addition to their pre-existing
ministerial duties. The primary role of a Regional Minister would
be to speak for their region in Government on matters of regional
import, but also to represent Government in the region. Regional
Ministers could also be required to appear before new Regional
Standing Committees of MPs, which might include all MPs in the
region (like the Scottish and Welsh Grand Committees) or a cross-party
group of regional MPs (like a Select Committee).
It appears likely that there are to be new powers
and new responsibilities for city-regions and local authorities
flowing from the forthcoming Local Government White Paper. As
local government becomes more powerful, there is an increased
reed for strong institutions at the regional level, to act as
a mediating force between local and city-regional governments
and Whitehall. Regional Ministers fit this bill. The establishment
of appropriate structures to allow regional public services to
liaise effectively with Regional Ministers would increase the
accountability and facilitate the co-ordination of the public
sector in the regions, and lead to substantial efficiency gains.
14 Towards a Modern Regional Policy, Facilitated
by the East Midlands Development Agency. Edited by Tony Pilch.
The Smith Institute, 2004. http://www.smith-institute.org.uk/pdfs/towards-a-modern-regional-policy.pdf
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