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Regional Development Agencies: Complaints

Volume 473: debated on Thursday 13 March 2008

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints against regional development agencies were (a) received and (b) upheld in each year for which figures are available. (191357)

I have been asked to reply.

RDAs record information relating to formal complaints in different ways. The following tables show the number of complaints against RDAs which were received and upheld.

2002-032003-042004-05

RDAs

Complaints received

Complaints upheld

Complaints received

Complaints upheld

Complaints received

Complaints upheld

AWM1

2

2

EEDA2

3

5

1

4

1

HMD A3

LDA4

17

0

NWDA

0

0

0

0

0

0

ONES

SEEDA6

SWRDA

0

0

0

0

0

0

YF7

10

0

3

0

2005-062006-07

RDAs

Complaints received

Complaints upheld

Complaints received

Complaints upheld

AWM1

3

3

3

3

EEDA2

4

3

6

2

HMD A3

0

0

0

0

LDA

29

0

20

0

NWDA

0

0

7

1

ONES

20

0

24

0

SEEDA6

2

0

1

0

SWRDA

0

0

1

0

YF

9

0

16

0

Notes:

1. AWM only records formal complaints which could not be resolved in the first instance and required further action to resolve them. The AWM figures in the table all relate to formal complaints which required investigation and, in some cases, further action.

2. EEDA's complaints upheld figures for 2002-03 are in archive and are not held centrally and are available only at disproportionate cost. Complaints received figures for 2002-03 are from the annual reports and accounts.

3. EMDA only records complaints which could not be resolved in the first instance and required further action to resolve them.

4. LDA's figures for 2002-03 and 2003-04 are archived. This information is not held centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost.

5. Prior to 2005-06, ONE did not record complaints received. After 2005-06, the agency only recorded complaints received. The complaints procedure is not designed to result in a complaint being 'upheld' or not. The complaints ONE receives are rarely of a nature that enables them to record information in this way as the procedure is actually a mediation process. For example, a complaint may relate to failure of a complainant to secure funding - the resolution in this case would be to discuss feedback with the complainant and point them in the direction of alternative funding sources.

6. SEEDA only records complaints which could not be resolved in the first instance and required further action to resolve them.

7 Prior to 2003-04, YF did not record complaints received.