FUTURE FOR REGIONAL ASSSEMBLIES

Cllr Bransby Thomas
Chair
English Regions Network
C/o West Midlands regional Assembly
Regional Partnership Centre
3rd Floor
Albert House
Quarry Place
92-93 Edward Street
Birmingham
B1 2RA

FUTURE FOR REGIONAL ASSSEMBLIES

Following the North East’s decision not to have an elected regional assembly, there has been some comment and debate about the existing regional assemblies. Much of this has been misinformed and reflects misunderstanding both of the role of the existing assemblies and our proposals for elected assemblies. In his statement to parliament on 8 November the Deputy Prime Minister made clear his continuing commitment to the regional agenda. This letter shares this more widely with yourself and the chairs of the assemblies.

Successive Governments have recognized that there are important issues which must be dealt with below the national level but which need to be co-ordinate over an area larger than even the biggest local authority. Since 1962 there has been a regional input into the planning process because issues have to be addressed that cross local authority boundaries. The previous administration established the government offices in 1994. We remain firmly committed to a regional dimension and will continue to build upon the progress we have made since 1997 by decentralising work to the regions.

We need to ensure that central decisions are properly informed and influenced by people in the regions and want to continue the progress that has been made by regional assemblies who have developed we since1999. You now play a valuable role on housing, planning, transport. economic development and sustainable development issues across your regions. So that people in the regions can have a voice and an input to these regional issues, we need the assemblies to remain representative of their region and work for the benefit of their regions.

We expect the role and responsibilities of regional assemblies to continue to evolve. The consultation exercise on merging regional housing and planning boards has just ended. As part of the Pre-Budget report on 2 December we issued a consultation document on proposals for regional funding allocations. This will be an important vehicle for establishing regional priorities and integrating regional strategies, and I know the assemblies will want to be proactive in responding to the consultation and in subsequent action.

On structure and membership, we want assemblies to remain representative of their whole region to have a balance between local authority members and regional stakeholders, and to have appropriate procedures in plan to handle government grant. We think it is right that local authority members should play a leading role in assemblies. It is vitally important that local authorities send to the assemblies members who will make a real contribution to the assembly’s work and who will think about the priorities of the region as a whole. It is equally important that the assemblies are able to draw on the valuable experience of other regional stakeholders who are, in their own ways, working towards bringing improvements to the regions.

Some of your members have raised the issue of nomenclature. We would now be content to adopt your suggestions of standardising the term “regional assemblies “, except where a statute or legal usage requires us to refer to regional chambers, in line with your designation under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998.

I look forward to a busy New Year, working closely with the regional assemblies on the key issues of housing, planning and sustainable economic development that are so important for all the English regions.

Nick Raynsford