MPs have agreed that the accountability arrangements for publicly funded regional bodies needed to be strengthened, with MPs being able to hold these bodies to account. Although Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) are centrally accountable to Parliament, many activities are not subject to regular, robust scrutiny.
The MPs have now agreed that, following the Modernisation of the House of Commons Select Committee Report into Regional Accountability (July 2008), 8 Regional Select Committees – one for each of the English regions (with the exception of London) – will be established from 1 January 2009.
Each committee will consist of no more than 9 MPs, with the membership representing the balance of parties in the House of Commons. The Committees will be evaluated at the end of the current Parliament (May 2010) to identify whether they should continue.
It is expected that the Committees will focus their enquiries and reports on regional policy and administration and will include examining regional strategies and the work of regional bodies in the regions. The Committees will therefore have the power to hold any regional body that is responsible for regional budgets, decision-making, determining regional priorities (a list of these bodies could include the RDA, LSC, SHA and Highways Agency). It will also have the power to call people to attend meetings and to give evidence.
The Regional Select Committees are expected to meet less than 6 times per year.
It is also recommended that Regional Grand Committees are established in the same 8 English regions from 1 January 2009 to the end of the current Parliament. These will consist of every MP in the region and up to 5 MPs from other regions. The Grand Committee will be a forum for discussing the ‘state of the region’ and will meet once or twice per year.
It is intended that the new arrangement – regional Select Committees and Grand Committees – will enhance regional accountability by providing an opportunity for all MPs in the relevant region to promote accountability and participate in scrutiny of regional ministers. Good working relationships with local authority representatives will help raise District level concerns within Parliament.
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