News Release : 20 December 2001

BRING CULTURAL CONSORTIUM INTO THE REGIONAL FOLD, SAYS ASSEMBLY

Cultural Consortiums need to have much stronger integration with their Regional Assemblies and RDAs for culture (i.e. sports, the arts, tourism, heritage) to get the recognition it deserves in regional policy. That's the message from the Regional Assembly's recent Executive Committee meeting, where members were debating the Assembly's response to the review of the Regional Cultural Consortia (RCC) by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

The department's review of the RCCs takes into account their achievements to date and the wider framework being developed on regional governance. The Department will then make recommendations to the Secretary of State before the White Paper on Regional Governance, which is due out in early 2002, is finalised.

Paul Bevan, Chief Executive, South East England Regional Assembly, said: "The Regional Cultural Consortium in the South East has succeeded in raising the profile of the cultural agenda in the South East. The Consortium is a distinct strategic policy body for culture which has developed a representative and inclusive cultural strategy that demonstrates considerable professional knowledge and understanding of the region's cultural assets and activities.

"The task now is to ensure that the cultural strategy which they put in place is rolled out effectively. To that aim, the Executive Committee of the Assembly believes that greater integration with the Assembly and SEEDA would pay dividends by bringing culture into the mainstream of regional policy for the South East."

The Regional Assembly will submit its response to the RCC review to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in the new year.

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Alex Butlin, PR Executive - 01483 555221

Notes to editors:

1. The Regional Assembly is the “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
   
   
2. The Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors nominated by the region’s local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
   
   
3. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
   
   

1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.

2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.

3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007

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