To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding his Department provided to the South West Regional Assembly in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09; how much funding he expects to provide to the South West Councils/South West Strategic Leaders Board in 2009-10; and what estimate he has made of the reduction in his Department’s expenditure in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) in subsequent years following the abolition of the South West Regional Assembly. (301893)

The Department has provided the following funding:

In 2009-10 the saving to my Department will be in the order of £230,016.

In 2010-11 the South West Strategic Leaders’ Board will undertake functions connected with the production of regional strategies under part 5 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009. For this work the amount to be allocated will be subject to receipt of a business plan. In subsequent years funding for this work will be subject to the outcome of the next comprehensive spending review.