South West Regional Development Agency

SOUTH WEST OF ENGLAND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY 
MINUTES OF THE 61st BOARD MEETING 24 January 2005 
Sterling House, Exeter 
 
Present: 
 
Nick Buckland - Deputy Chairman (in the Chair) 
Cathy Bakewell - Board Member 
Christine Channon - Board Member 
Nigel Costley - Board Member 
Alan Courts - Board Member 
Duncan Hames - Board Member 
Brian Kemp - Board Member 
Jonathon Porritt - Board Member  
Christine Reid - Board Member 
Colin Skellett - Board Member 
Harry Studholme - Board Member 
Eric Thomas - Board Member 
 
In attendance: 
 
Geoffrey Wilkinson - Chief Executive 
Suzanne Bond - Director of Strategy and Communications 
Nick Lewis - Director of Corporate Services 
Colin Molton - Director of Operations and Development 
Stephen Peacock - Director of Enterprise and Innovation 
Claire Gibson - Head of Planning, Transport and Environment (item 4) 
Guy Price - Head of Strategy and Performance (item 6) 
Jeff Chinnock - Corporate and Parliamentary Affairs 
Caroline Bloodworth - Corporate and Parliamentary Affairs  
 
Apologies: 
 
Juliet Williams - Chairman 
Judith Reynolds - Board Member 
 
1. MINUTES FROM 60th MEETING 
 
The minutes of the 60th meeting were agreed as a correct record. There were no matters arising. 
 
2. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT 
 
Nick Buckland acted as Chairman in the absence of Juliet Williams who was meeting the Deputy Prime Minister the same morning. The Chairman welcomed Christine Channon and Alan Courts to the RDA Board.  
 
The Board received feedback following a meeting between the Deputy Prime Minister, Juliet Williams and Colin Molton about the region's Sustainable Communities submission - The Way Ahead. 
 
3. CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT 
 
(Christine Channon declared an interest in items 8, 17 and 18 of the report; Cathy Bakewell declared an interest in item 9) 
 
Following a recent meeting of the shadow Science and Industry Council, final report would be agreed and circulated to the Board by the end of January.  
 
Board decision 
 
The Board agreed, in principle, to accept the recommendations within the report to enable the staff appointments process to begin. 
 
The Board received an update on the transfer of responsibilities from the Countryside Agency (where three posts had been identified) and on Business Links/DTI, where 12 posts would be transferred (five on Small Business Service/Business Link and seven on R&D grants). The 15 posts would be added to the Agency's staff establishment total. 
 
4. RDA IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT DRIVER 
 
The environment driver paper was introduced. The paper highlighted five headline areas of activity, the linkages between them and the activities and targets within the Action Plan. It was considered vital that staff resources should be allocated as soon as possible and was agreed that the Agency needed to be realistic about what it could and should engage in, particularly with regard to the public sector. It was further agreed that the cross-directorate Environment Group would advise on the updating of the Board.  
 
Board decision 
 
The Board endorsed the Environment Driver Implementation Plan, the corporate Environment Policy Action Plan and noted the resource implications arising for the additional and new activities contained within the documents. 
 
5. DIVERSITY AND EQUALITIES STRATEGY  
 
The Board received a presentation on the Agency's Diversity and Equalities Strategy.  
 
The issue of migrant workers was considered an important one for the region. It was agreed that the Agency would need to focus on activity that it could influence or take forward.  
 
Board decision 
 
The Board endorsed the development of the Agency's Diversity and Equalities Strategy and noted progress on RDA activity to support diversity and equalities in the South West. A further Diversity and Equalities paper would be prepared for the March Board. 
 
6. SW RDA CORPORATE PLAN 2005-8 
 
The Board received an update on the Corporate Plan. The key audience for the Corporate Plan was government departments and Ministers. A different version would be prepared for external communication purposes.  
 
Board members were keen to agree an Executive Summary / key messages.  
 
Board decision 
 
The Board noted the current situation and endorsed the steps being taken to prepare a final draft for submission to DTI on 25 January 2005. 
 
7. POWERS RESERVED TO THE BOARD 
 
Board decision 
 
The Board approved the list of powers reserved to the Board.  
 
8. RDA BOARD MEMBERS' REPRESENTATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 
 
Nominations were requested for various Board committees. These were agreed as follows:- 
 
RDA Audit Committee - Cathy Bakewell 
RDA Planning Group - Eric Thomas 
West of England LSC - Christine Channon 
Equalities South West - Christine Reid 
 
The Board had established four Advisory Groups although other regional groups also acted in an advisory capacity to the Board (eg Culture South West and SWESA). These groups would continue to be considered as 'other non-RDA Regional Groups' but would be marked to reflect the fact that they were Advisory Groups. 
 
It was agreed that Stephen Peacock would facilitate a meeting of all Board members and Heads of Operations that sit on the region's LSCs.  
 
9. RDA OFFICERS' MEMBERSHIP OF OUTSIDE BODIES 
 
Board decision 
 
The Board noted and approved the paper. 
 
10. BAD DEBT WRITE OFF 
 
Board decision  
 
The Board agreed to seek DTI authority to write off £694,954. 
 
11. REVIEW OF REGIONAL ECONOMIC STRATEGY (RES)  
 
There was a requirement to review the RES every three years and in preparation for the next review, an interim assessment had been undertaken during 2004. A set of working assumptions for the RES Review process had been developed. The June Board issues meeting would focus on the RES Review. Duncan Hames, Brian Kemp and Alan Courts nominated themselves for a new Board sub group on the RES review and other Board members were invited to join the sub group. It was suggested that to ensure private sector engagement in the process careful consideration should be given to the types of documents produced or events held. They should be targeted, short/sharp and relevant to business and an effort should be made to engage both directly with businesses and through intermediary bodies.  
 
12. BUSINESS SUPPORT IN THE SOUTH WEST - TRANSFER OF REGIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BUSINESS LINK BRAND AND SERVICE 
 
The Board was updated on the transfer of Business Links. Three separate pilot projects had been running across England and despite an agreed national framework for the delivery of business support, very different methods of delivery had emerged from region to region.  
 
The RDA's new responsibility was the funding and strategic direction of Business Links. This provided an opportunity to develop the optimum way of delivering high quality business support. It was agreed that once a clear workable strategy had been developed there was a need to develop an effective communications plan.  
 
13. INSURANCE ARRANGEMENTS 
 
Board decision 
 
The Board approved the insurance arrangements set out in the paper. 
 
14. BOARD HANDBOOK REVISION 
 
Board decision  
 
The Board approved the proposal to update the Board Handbook. 
 
15. ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION REGULATIONS 2004 
 
Board decision 
 
The Board noted the information about the regulations. 
 
16. STANDING ITEMS 
 
a. Projects Approved 
Noted.  
 
b. Policy Consultation Reponses 
Noted. 
 
c. Summary of Board Advisory Group minutes 
Noted.  
d. Decisions taken using Urgency Procedures 
None. 
 
e. Documents Sealed 
Noted. 
 
f. Loan Write Offs 
None. 
 
g. Audit Committee minutes 
Noted. 
 
h. Remuneration Committee minutes 
Noted.