News Release : 09 March 2001

GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT WELCOMED BY SOUTH EAST REGIONAL BODIES

Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown's announcement today of a package of measures to strengthen the economic performance of English regions was welcomed by both the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and the South East England Regional Assembly.

Together with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, Mr Brown this morning outlined:

New financial flexibility for Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to meet nationally and regionally agreed targets, and
£ 5million a year for to be distributed between all English regional assemblies to enable them to enhance their scrutiny of RDAs' activities.
The Chair of the South East England Regional Assembly, Cllr David Shakespeare, said: "It is essential that executive agencies such as the RDA deliver the region's priorities for sustainable economic development. This announcement is welcome recognition of the important role that the Regional Assembly has to play. We will be able to assist SEEDA to be responsive to regional needs and opinions, and to ensure that those needs are met."

SEEDA Chairman Allan Willett said: "We are very pleased to see this further vote of confidence in Regional bodies. I have always said that RDAs need increased funding and flexibility, and have been happy to acknowledge that increased powers must go hand in hand with greater accountability. We look forward to working with the South East England Regional Assembly to carry forward these exciting developments."

In making the announcement, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasised the role of RDAs as the strategic drivers
of economic development in the regions, and commented that they had "made excellent progress over the last year."

Further flexibility will be given to SEEDA and other RDAs from 2002/03 to deliver the economic development and regeneration of their regions. They will be funded by Government through a single budget free from unnecessary restriction on how it can be used. In particular, the Government is not imposing any separate programmes,
ring-fencing any money or limiting RDAs' ability to carry resources forward from one year to the next.

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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