In response to your first question, we have
checked with officers serving the South West Regional Assembly.
They tell us that, perhaps unsurprisingly, they do not keep records
of voting patterns by political parties, and social, economic
and environmental partners. Mr Campbell was trying to make the
point of principle that there is potential for partners to join
together in this way, and that this undermines the democratic
accountability and elected legitimacy of elected members of local
authorities (albeit that they are indirectly elected so far as
the Regional Assembly is concerned).
You also ask about regional agencies and their
accountability. Dorset County Council is the host authority for
the South West Regional Centre for Excellence, which is funded
by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (presumably now by
its successor department). Consultants funded by the ODPM recently
convened and facilitated a seminar for the Chief Executives of
local authorities in the South West, with the objective of giving
increased impetus to the direction of local government efficiency
and improvement. One of the areas of concern that was identified
by participants at that seminar was the very large number of agencies
that operated, on a whole regional basis, within the South West,
and the inadequate co-ordination between those bodies. I attach
a list of bodies that were identified, showing those with a specifically
regional remit, and also showing those that were considered to
have a high impact on local authorities' change/improvement agenda.
As to what we are doing about it, we are seeking
to draw together, into one broad entity, the organisations and
partnerships most concerned with local government improvement.
I attach a copy of a report that officers put to the Executive
Committee of the last meeting of the South West Local Government
Association, on 5 May, seeking support for a broad improvement
Partnership—"Lift South West". While the details
are still being worked out, there is broad support for this direction.
Richard Sheard, the Director of Local Government Improvement at
the Government Office for the South West, is the focal point for
this development work, and I am grateful to him for it.
| 169 and growing
| 52 | 18
|
| Agency | SW Regional
Remit?
| High impact on the
change agenda?
|
| 4 P's Public Private Partnership Programme |
| Yes |
| Aim Higher South West | Yes
| |
| Air Pollution Information Systems |
| |
| ASP Association of Sustainable Practitioners
| | |
| Audit Commission | Yes |
Yes |
| Avon & Somerset Energy & Environmental Management Group (EEMG)
| | |
| Barnados | |
|
| Basic Skills Agency | |
|
| Business in the Environment |
| |
| Business Links in the SW | Yes
| |
| Care Service Efficiency Delivery programme (SW and National)
| Yes | Yes |
| Care Services Improvement Partnership (SW and National)
| Yes | Yes |
| Central Buying Consortium |
| |
| Centre for Alternative Technology |
| |
| Centre for Research, Education and Training in Energy
| | |
| Centre for Sustainable Energy |
| |
| Centre for the Analysis and Dissemination of Demonstrated Energy Technologies
| | |
| Centres for Vocational Excellence |
| |
| Clear Skies Initiative | |
|
| Climate Change Projects Office DTI/DEFRA |
| |
| Combined Heat and Power Association |
| |
| Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI)
| Yes | Yes |
| Community Action for Energy (cafe«) |
| |
| Community Recycling Network UK | Yes
| |
| Connexions | |
|
| Constructing Excellence (SW and National) |
Yes | |
| Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership |
| |
| Cornwall's Wealth of Wildlife |
| |
| Corporate Social Responsibility |
| |
| Cotswold Energy and Environmental Management Group
| | |
| Countryside Agency (SW and National) | Yes
| |
| CRISP Community Regeneration in the SW Partnership
| Yes | |
| Culture South West | Yes |
|
| Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (SW and National)
| Yes | Yes |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (SW and National)
| Yes | Yes |
| Devon and Cornwall Energy Environmental Group
| | |
| Devon Association for Renewable Energy (DARE)
| | |
| Devon Environmental Business Initiative |
| |
| DTI-Achieving Best Practice in Your Business
| | |
| DTI-Renewable Energy Programme |
| |
| DTI-Sustainable Energy Policy Network |
| |
| Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) |
| |
| ENCAMS Environmental Campaigns |
| |
| Energy Helpline | |
|
| Energy 21 | |
|
| Energy Efficiency Accreditation Scheme |
| |
| Energy Institute | |
|
| Energy Saving Trust | |
|
| Energy Trade Association |
| |
| Energy Watch | |
|
| England in Particular | |
|
| English Heritage | |
|
| English Nature | |
|
| Enhance Capital Allowances |
| |
| Environment Agency (SW and National) | Yes
| |
| Environmental Accounting |
| |
| Environmental Industries Sector Unit (EISU)
| | |
| Enviroskills SW | Yes |
|
| Envirowise | |
|
| EnVision | |
|
| ENVOLVE and the Bath Environment Centre |
| |
| Ethical Investors Group | |
|
| European Environment Agency |
| |
| European Environmental Bureau |
| |
| European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign
| | |
| European Union on Line | |
|
| Fair Trade Foundation | |
|
| Federation Small Businesses |
| |
| Food Standards Agency | |
|
| Foresight | |
|
| Forestry Commission | |
|
| Forum for the Future | |
|
| Glastonbury Green Business Club |
| |
| Global Action Plan | |
|
| Glos Econet | |
|
| Gloucestershire Wildlife Group |
| |
| Government Office South West | Yes
| Yes |
| Green Moves | |
|
| GREENTIE | |
|
| Groundwork | |
|
| Health Protection Agency |
| |
| Higher Education Regional Development Association SW
| Yes | |
| Highways Agency (SW and National) | Yes
| |
| HMSO | | |
| Horizon South West | Yes |
|
| I&DEA (SW and National) | Yes
| Yes |
| Info4local | |
|
| JISC Regional Support Centre |
| |
| Joint Nature Conservation Committee |
| |
| Learning and Skills Council (SW and National)
| Yes | |
| Learning South West | Yes |
|
| Local Authority Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services
| | |
| Local Development Initiative LEDIS |
| |
| Marine Conservation Society |
| |
| Marine South West | Yes |
|
| Maritime and Coastguard Agency |
| |
| Market Transformation Programme |
| |
| National Housing Association South West |
Yes | |
| National Social Inclusion Programme |
| |
| National Treatment Agency for Substance Abuse
| | |
| Neighbourhood Renewal Unit |
| |
| New Opportunities Fund (Now Big Lottery Fund)
| | |
| NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency |
| |
| NSPCC | |
|
| Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) |
Yes | Yes |
| Our South West | Yes |
|
| Public Procurement Portal |
| |
| Ramblers Association | |
|
| RECOUP (Recycling of Used Plastic Ltd) |
| |
| Recycling Consortium | |
|
| Reduce the Use | |
|
| REEEP Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership
| | |
| Regional Infrastructure for Social Enterprise
| | |
| Regional Language Network Southwest | Yes
| |
| Regional Planning Guidance for the South West
| Yes | |
| Renewable Power Association |
| |
| River Water Quality Database for England and Wales
| | |
| RNIB | | |
| Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
| | |
| Sector Skills Development Agency and Skills Council (SSDA)
| | |
| Skills for Health | |
|
| Soil Association | |
|
| Solar Energy Society Education |
| |
| Somerset Trust for Sustainable Development |
| |
| South West Bio-diversity | Yes
| |
| South West Bio-diversity Partnership | Yes
| |
| South West Brussels Office | Yes
| |
| South West Centre and Skills Alliance | Yes
| |
| South West Centre of Excellence (SWCoE) |
Yes | Yes |
| South West Core—SW Chamber for Rural Enterprise
| Yes | |
| South West Food and Drink | Yes
| |
| South West Forest | Yes |
|
| South West Improvement Partnership (SWIP) |
Yes | Yes |
| South West Local Food Partnership | Yes
| |
| South West Local Government Association (SWLGA)
| Yes | Yes |
| South West Museums | Yes |
|
| South West Protected Landscape Forum |
| |
| South West Provincial Employees | Yes
| Yes |
| South West Regeneration Centre (Creating Excellence)
| Yes | Yes |
| South West Regional Assembly (SW RA) | Yes
| Yes |
| South West Regional Compact | Yes
| |
| South West Regional Development Agency (SW RDA)
| Yes | Yes |
| South West Regional Observatory | Yes
| |
| Southwest E Government Group (SWEGG) | Yes
| Yes |
| Southwest Renewable Energy | Yes
| |
| Sport for England | |
|
| Sure Start | |
|
| Sustainable Development Commission |
| |
| Sustainable Development for Building Professionals
| | |
| Sustainable Development Resource Centre |
| |
| Sustainable South West | Yes
| |
| Sustainable Strategies Reference File |
| |
| Sustrans | |
|
| The Acorn Trust | |
|
| The Business and Bio-diversity Resource Centre
| | |
| The Conversation Foundation |
| |
| The Enhance Capital Allowance Scheme |
| |
| The Green Register of Construction Professionals
| | |
| The Natural Step | |
|
| The Noise Abatement Society |
| |
| The Sigma Project | |
|
| Transport Energy Best Practice Programme |
| |
| UK Emissions Group | |
|
| United Kingdom Accreditation Service |
| |
| Waste and Resource Action Programme |
| |
| Wessex Energy and Environmental Group | Yes
| |
| Westcountry Rivers Trust |
| |
| Wildlife Trusts ain the South West | Yes
| |
1.1 To update the Executive on developments since its
last meeting and to obtain approval of a recommendation.
2.1 The Executive is recommended to approve the proposals
for the creation of LIFT SW.
3.1 Paper E, considered by the Executive Committee on
14 October, 2005, reported potential changes to the nature of
the Improvement Partnership operating in the South West.
3.2 One of the potential changes welcomed by Members
was the proposal to ensure Members of the South West Branch of
the Local Government Association had an opportunity to influence
the strategic direction of the Partnership's work.
3.3 Considerable progress has been made towards the creation
of a new Improvement Partnership and it is recommended that Members
welcome the creation of the new arrangements.
3.4 The new arrangements will be described as "LIFT
SW". The arrangements will improve collaboration between
the agencies seeking to assist local government to improve. They
will provide an opportunity for Members to set the overarching
strategies and to monitor progress towards their achievement.
They will provide better information about the agencies involved,
their capabilities and their purpose. They will ensure that duplication
of effort is avoided and collaboration is maximised.
3.5 It is proposed that the "governance" arrangements
will consist of the South West Branch of the Local Government
Association or its Executive Committee setting and monitoring
the strategic direction. This delivers the LGA requirement of
Member engagement at an appropriate level in the work of the former
partnership (SWIP) and the Centre of Excellence (CoE).
3.6 Working within the strategic direction determined
by Members, a LIFT SW Programme Board consisting of Chief Executives
and key change agents such as GOSW, Audit Commission, IDeA, CoE,
SWLGA, SWPE, and representatives from the Regulatory bodies will
allocate resources, manage programmes, evaluate success and disseminate
best practice.
3.7 A smaller Executive Group consisting of representatives
from GOSW, SWLGA, SWPE, CoE and IDeA will ensure progress is maintained
between meetings of the larger Programme Board.
3.8 Local Authority Chief Executives will work with the
Programme Board through direct representation and through the
work of G51 which it is suggested should be redesignated the South
West Chief Executives' Forum.
3.9 Capacity Building funds will be made available to
recruit a Lift SW Improvement Programme Lead Officer and some
administrative support. Those officers will work closely with
CoE staff.
3.10 If Members agree the proposed new arrangements,
ODPM approval will be sought in June and an outline Business Plan
will be submitted to the LGA Branch Meeting on 23 June, 2006.
4.1 There may be a small increase in the amount of officer
time required to participate in the new arrangements.
5.1 The proposals extend the LGA's partnership working
arrangements.
6.1 It will be necessary to ensure the new arrangements
are recognised as significantly different to those operated by
the former Improvement Partnership.
7.1 Have been conducted between GOSW, SWCoE, IDeA, SWLGA
and Chief Executives.
