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1 July 2010 : Column 646W—continued
Regional Planning and Development
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which bodies are to have responsibility for (a) inward investment, (b) growth, (c) economic regeneration strategy and (d) cross-boundary infrastructure projects in each region; and if he will make a statement. [5164]
Mr Prisk: The Government will replace regional development agencies with local enterprise partnerships. We are reviewing all the functions of the RDAs. Some of these are best led nationally, such as inward investment, sector leadership, responsibility for business support, innovation, and access to finance, while others can be scrapped, such as Regional Strategies. Local enterprise partnerships will want to create the right environment for business and growth in their areas, by tackling issues such as planning and housing, local transport and infrastructure priorities, employment and enterprise and the transition to a low carbon economy. The Government have asked for outline proposals from partnerships of local authorities and businesses.
Further detail will be provided in the White Paper on sub-national growth that will be published later in the summer.
Regional Planning and Development: Yorkshire and the Humber
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which organisation or co-ordinating body will have responsibility for (a) assisting the creation of new businesses and (b) developing the private sector in Yorkshire and the Humber; and if he will make a statement. [5163]
Mr Prisk: The coalition Government are committed to reforming our system of sub-national economic development by enabling councils and business to replace the existing regional development agencies. We are encouraging local businesses and councils to work together to develop their proposals for local enterprise partnerships. We anticipate the local enterprise partnerships will wish to provide strategic leaderships in their areas to set out local economic priorities.
Local enterprise partnerships will therefore want to create the right environment for business and growth, by tackling issues such as planning and housing, local transport and employment and enterprise. Supporting small business start-ups will therefore be important.
Students: Finance
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the effect on the living costs of students of an increase in the rate of value added tax from 17.5 per cent. to 20 per cent. [4894]
Mr Willetts: No estimate has been made of the effect on student living costs of the value added tax increase.
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