21 December 2006

Below is a summary of issues discussed and decisions taken at the meeting of the Regional Executive Board on 21 December 2006. You can download the papers from this meeting from the link at the bottom of the page. Formal minutes will be available following the next Regional Executive Board meeting. For more information on any of the issues discussed, contact the Assembly on 01924 331555.

Integrated Regional Framework

The Assembly is leading work on a new Integrated Regional Framework to ensure regional strategies and investment work collectively to improve delivery of regional priorities. This is in line with recent Government guidance on strengthening delivery of sustainable development in the English regions

The new framework - which will merge the existing Advancing Together and Regional Sustainable Development frameworks - will also resolve gaps and conflicts in current strategies and lead to better policy and decision making.

Details of the how the draft version of the IRF is being developed were discussed by members, including work already carried out to identify a number of key “landmark ‘’ issues where the region has persistent and problematic trends. These are: Widening Gaps in Income and Inequalities, Transport, Climate Change/Energy, Housing Affordability, Obesity, Violent Crime and the need for Higher Level Skills and Innovation.

Members also discussed a draft vision for the IRF, which has developed three measurable aspects of sustainability the region needs to address.This had been drawn by the Assembly’s Sustainable Development Board.

Members agreed the draft report in principle to allow further consultation with Assembly members, key partners, stakeholders and the region’s Boards, advisory groups and the sub-regional groupings of local authorities. For more details contact Sian Ferguson on 01924 331563, email sian.ferguson@yhassembly.gov.uk

Transport Lobbying

Details of how the Assembly will work with other partners to press Yorkshire and Humber's case for future Government spending as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review, were outlined by Executive Director Chris Martin.

Following last month’s REB agreement that transport is the key regional issue and that any lobbying activity should be channelled towards it, members agreed a way forward on ways of maximising impact of this work.

This will include seeking a joint meeting between Assembly Chair Peter Box, Yorkshire Forward Chair Terry Hodgkinson and relevant ministers on how the Government might support the region’s transport activity; drawing up a specific briefing on transport to help members and other partners better present the region’s case and a planned meeting with civil servants in January 2007 on aspects of the CSR submission. For more details contact Chris Martin on 01924 331590, email chris.martin@yhassembly.gov.uk

Regional Executive Board (REB) Work Programme 2007/8

Following a meeting of the REB in November to consider its role and other parts of the regional governance structures, details of key themes and areas of work were discussed.

A work programme for the REB has been developed, covering five top priorities- developing the Integrated Regional Framework; Regional Leadership and Communication; Lobbying and Working with Government and others; co-ordinating, overseeing and monitoring the Assembly’s functional boards; and Policy and Strategy development and endorsement.

Members stressed the need for activities to ensure the Assembly and the Board itself was pro-active in its work and agreed the draft programme should go out to the full Assembly membership to help develop it as part of the overall Business Plan and budget 2007/8 currently being drawn up.

For more details contact Sue Jeffrey on 01924 331560, email sue.jeffrey@yhassembly.gov.uk

Sub National Review and the implications of the Eddington (Transport), Barker (Planning) and Leitch (Skills) Reviews

At the time of the Budget, Government announced a current cross cutting review of the sub national delivery of economic development and regeneration. The review is a key part of the debate about devolving decision-making and is one part of a range of ongoing work. This includes the Lyons Review, and the recently published independent reviews considering transport (Eddington), planning (Barker), and skills (Leitch).

This sub national review will not report until after the Budget 2007 and gives the Assembly an opportunity to influence the outcome. To date the Assembly has only commented on the review as part of the overall English Regions Network response.

Members agreed the Assembly needed to draw up an specific response, outlining the added value the organisation and its functions brings to regional structures and decision making, and looking forward to how this might be developed in future. They also stressed the need to avoid duplicating the comments of other stakeholders who would be drawing up responses about their roles. For more details contact Sue Jeffrey on 01924 331560, email sue.jeffrey@yhassembly.gov.uk

You can download the papers and minutes below.