The South East England Regional Assembly is strengthening its scrutiny of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) by creating a specialist team of Assembly members.

Since 2001, the Assembly has involved a wide range of members in scrutinising SEEDA by convening a new select committee for each topic examined. The newly created dedicated team will gain greater insights into how SEEDA operates. For each scrutiny exercise they will also involve additional members with appropriate interest or expertise.

Ian Chisnall, Assembly Vice-Chair and representing Social and Environmental stakeholders, has taken on the role of lead Assembly member for scrutiny. He said:

"This new way of working will improve the way in which the Assembly members carry out this vital role. Our scrutiny role is a statutory responsibility and over the years we have succeeded in supporting SEEDA to sharpen the focus and improve the impact of their work. The Assembly will continue to work constructively with SEEDA to deliver the region's priorities."

The scrutiny process follows a set format, which includes research, consultation, hearings and a report with findings and recommendations. SEEDA responds with an action plan.

Scrutiny programme

The Select Committee's scrutiny programme for 2007-08 will review SEEDA's work in the following areas:

• Responding to the 'global challenge' (spring 2007)
  The Committee will look at how SEEDA supports the region's economic challenge in a competitive global market. The South East is the most successful regional economy in the UK, outside London, but dropped in the world competitiveness rankings from 40th to 55th in just two years. SEEDA has a role in ensuring that the South East can benefit from the entry of new powers into the global economy, such as India and China, by identifying new opportunities and sustaining competitiveness.
• Reducing the ecological footprint (summer 2007)
  The South East uses more resources than any other UK region. Work from SEEDA and a range of other organisations and ways to reduce the region's 'footprint' will be considered.
• The South East Coastal Strategy (winter 2007)
  The Committee will examine how the Strategy links into the South East Plan and the Regional Economic Strategy and addresses the region's coastal needs.

The Assembly's annual scrutiny report is available in the publications section.

Contacts

Lesley van Dijk, Assembly PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, Assembly Communications Director - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

1. The South East England Regional Assembly undertakes scrutiny of the South East England Regional Development Agency (SEEDA) under the Regional Development Agency Act 1998. It examines a range of SEEDA's activities to evaluate how effectively it responds to the needs and priorities of the region. The Assembly holds three select committees each year, which each look at a particular theme of SEEDA's work.
2. Global Challenge Select Committee - One of SEEDA's tools to tackle the 'global challenge' is the Global Regions Initiative, which seeks to build relationships with regions with similar economic and business profiles. These regions work together to support and extend traditional inward investment, and trade promotion activities by focusing on SEEDA's priority business sectors. The Select Committee will consider SEEDA's activities and policies, including those developed in the Regional Economic Strategy, and will use the Global Regions Initiative as a more in-depth case study.
3. Information on Select Committees and work to date is available in the meetings section.
4. The South East England Regional Assembly is a regional partnership with 112 members representing local authorities as well as social, environmental and business sectors.
5. The Assembly was established by South East local government in January 1999 to provide a representative voice for the region, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire and Surrey.
6. Assembly members include elected councillors from the region's 74 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) as well as the New Forest National Park Authority.
7. The Assembly has four key roles:
• Advocacy
  Pressing the South East's interests in London and Brussels.
• Accountability
  Scrutinising the plans and performance of regional bodies such as SEEDA to align the region's priorities.
• Regional planning
  Preparing and delivering the South East Plan - the 20-year statutory plan for the region that sets the framework for the sustainable development of the South East.
• Regional policy
  Advising Government on the co-ordination of regional strategies and spending priorities for housing, transport, planning and economic development to improve the impact of public expenditure.

Our vision is for a distinctive, outward-looking, accessible region of prosperous, sustainable communities, with a high quality of life and environment.

Last updated: 21 August 2007