North West Regional Development Agency Geraldine Smith To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the North West regional development agency is providing any funding for a study to establish whether Lancaster Castle prison can become a tourist attraction. Margaret Hodge [holding answer 24 October 2006]: No. The North West regional development agency has not received any such proposal. Geraldine Smith To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether members of Vision Boards can remain on them without attending meetings. Margaret Hodge This is a matter for the Vision Boards. Geraldine Smith To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many vision board managers are employed on a consultancy basis. Margaret Hodge There is one Vision Board manager appointed on a consultancy basis. Geraldine Smith To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many vision boards there are in the North West Regional Development Agency. Margaret Hodge The North West Development Agency has encouraged the establishment of three Vision Boards in Preston, Lancaster and Burnley. Geraldine Smith To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent on the vision boards set up by the North West regional development agency. Margaret Hodge The North West regional development agency has encouraged the establishment of vision boards in Preston, Burnley and Lancaster. The agency has provided the following funding to the vision boards: ------------------- | |£ | ------------------- |Preston |457,000| ------------------- |Lancaster|200,000| ------------------- |Burnley |178,000| ------------------- Geraldine Smith To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what advice the Northwest Regional Development Agency has given to Lancaster Vision Board regarding funding for a study to establish whether Lancaster prison can be closed and the castle turned into a tourist attraction. Margaret Hodge The Northwest Regional Development Agency has advised the Lancaster and Morecambe Vision Board that any proposal seeking agency funding should be submitted as part of an action plan in support of the Lancaster and Morecambe Vision. All such proposals should also feature in the sub-regional action plans developed by the Lancashire Economic Partnership. This demonstrates sub-regional priority in delivering the Regional Economic Strategy. The agency has not received a funding proposal in respect of Lancaster Castle. Geraldine Smith To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what role the area manager from the Northwest Regional Development Agency plays on the Lancaster Vision Board. Margaret Hodge The Northwest Regional Development Agency’s area manager attended Lancaster and Morecambe Vision Board meetings as an observer and advised the board on matters relating to delivery of the Regional Economic Strategy and agency policy. Geraldine Smith To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the Lancaster and Morecambe Vision document cost to reproduce. Margaret Hodge The Lancaster and Morecambe Vision documents cost a total of £20,819. This covered: design; consultation/promotion; website posting; 5,000 full version copies; and 2,000 abridged version copies. Geraldine Smith To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Lancaster and Morecambe Vision Board was set up. Margaret Hodge The Northwest Regional Development Agency first proposed the idea of a Vision Board for Lancaster and Morecambe to the local authority and key private sector representatives on 22 March 2004. Lancaster and Morecambe Vision Board first met on 26 May 2004. Geraldine Smith To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether Lancaster and Morecambe Vision Board is responsible for (a) ensuring that effective delivery vehicles are in place to implement the regeneration strategy for the area and (b) the delivery of the economic vision and strategy for the Lancaster and Morecambe area. Margaret Hodge The Lancaster and Morecambe Vision Board has no responsibility for either ensuring effective delivery vehicles are in place or for the delivery of the economic vision and strategy for Lancaster and Morecambe. Its role is to provide innovative and visionary support and advice with a strong private sector input. Geraldine Smith To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who the representatives are on Lancaster Vision Board; and which sector each represents. Margaret Hodge Lancaster and Morecambe Vision Board members are as follows: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Name |Organisation |Sector | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Paul Wellings |Lancaster University |Higher Education | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Trevor Bargh |Charter Solutions |Marketing consultancy | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Ian Barker |Lancaster City Council |Elected representative | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Janet Barton |Lancashire Economic Partnership|Sub-region | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Amanda Belcham Dukes|Theatre |Cultural industries | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Jim Birkett |Fanny House Farm |Agriculture/NFU | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Martyn Butlin |British Energy |Energy generation | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Jim Catterall |Craigwell Hotel |Tourism | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Helen Child |GTP |IT/financial services | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Mark Cullinan |Lancaster City Council |Local authority | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |John Donnellon |Lancaster City Council |Local authority | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Nicholas Gillibrand |Mason Gillibrand |Architectural Practice | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Hazel Harding |Lancashire County Council |Elected representative | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Roger Horn |Port Commission |Property/waterways | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Allan Kenny |Reebok/Consultant |Distribution/Chamber of Commerce| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Nairn Munshi |Sultan of Lancaster |Leisure | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Alison Page |Furniture Matters |Social enterprise | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Geraldine Smith |MP |Elected representative | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |David Taylor |Irvine Taylor |Property/Chamber of Commerce | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |John Walden |In Touch |IT/manufacturing | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Ben Wallace |MP |Elected representative | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Lois Willis |Consultant |Health/Creative Industries | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |David Wood |Lancaster and Morecambe College|Further education | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------