Questions
Asked by
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the role of Ministers for the Regions in relation to multi-area agreements in their region. [HL2243]
Regional Ministers play a key role in working with local authorities and key regional partners on the delivery of government objectives in the regions. In relation to MAAs there is no single model of engagement, but Regional Ministers are strongly supporting sub-regional collaboration and economic development through MAAs and other means.
Asked by
To ask Her Majesty's Government which areas with multi-area agreements (MAA) have received visits by the Minister for their Region for discussions with the appropriate body consisting of representatives of the local authorities in the MAA, before or after the signing of the MAA. [HL2244]
Regional Ministers have met or will meet representatives from local authorities from multi-area-agreement (MAA) areas as follows:
The Minister for London will be having a meeting next week with representatives of five Olympic host boroughs to discuss their emerging Olympic MAA.
The Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber had formal meetings with the leaders of the Leeds City Region and other members of the MAA partnership at Science City York, on 3 November 2008 and the Humber Economic Partnership Board on 10 November 2008.
The Minister for the North West is undertaking a series of sub-regional discussions with local authority leaders and chief executives on local area agreements, MAAs and sub-regional governance. So far meetings in Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester have taken place and arrangements are in hand for Lancashire and Cumbria.
The Minister for the East Midlands met Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Councils on 20 March 2008 to discuss their plans for a proposed MAA.
The West Midlands does not have any MAAs but there are currently two MAA proposals in the region. The Minister for West Midlands has discussed their MAA proposals with representatives of the Birmingham City Region, both before and after submission of their scheme. He will be meeting Black Country local authority leaders and chief executives later this month with one of the items for discussion being their plans for an MAA.
The Minister for the South East visited PUSH, the Portsmouth and Urban South Hampshire MAA area on 15 October 2007 and attended the MAA signing ceremony on 14 July 2008.
The Regional Ministers for the North West, London, East Midlands and South East attended the national MAA signing event hosted by the Prime Minister on 12 January 2009.