South West Regional Development Agency

South West Industrial Development Board Publication Scheme

The South West Industrial Development Board has adopted the new model publication scheme for public bodies drawn up under Section 19 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  
 
The Publication Scheme commits the South West Industrial Development Board to proactively provide information to the public as part of its normal business activities. The Board will routinely publish information it holds that falls under the new Scheme.

• Guide to information we commit to publish as a matter of course
• How this information will be published
• Whether the information is available free of charge or on payment.

Who we are and what we do

The South West Industrial Development Board ('SWIDB' or 'the Board') is an advisory non-statutory public body set up to advise the South West of England Regional Development Agency on the exercise of functions under section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 delegated to it by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. 
 
The main work of the Board is to advise on individual applications for Grant for Business Investment (GBI), which is available in the Assisted Areas in England, where the level of assistance sought is between £250,000 and £2 million. Applications above this level are handled by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, itself advised by the Industrial Development Advisory Board. SWIDB's work involves appraising the viability of the applicant company and their project, the financing requirements, national and regional benefits, and the need for and value for money of assistance, and whether the other criteria for support under GBI are met. GBI replaced Selective Finance for Investment (SFI) in England from 24 October 2008.  
 
The Board consists of a Chair, a Vice Chair and up to 14 members, who are appointed by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Chair and Board members are selected for their knowledge of local industry and commerce. The Secretariat for the Board's day to day activities is provided by the South West of England Regional Development Agency.

What we spend and how we spend it

The South West Industrial Development Board advises the South West of England Regional Development Agency and does not incur expenditure in its own right. 
 
Members of the Board are unpaid and may claim reasonable travel expenses. Contact us for this information.

What are our priorities and how are we doing

Applications are appraised against the criteria of the GBI scheme and the main role of the RIDBs is to provide detailed advice on the commercial issues which are normally the key factors in a decision whether or not to offer grant. 
 
Details of the activities of all the Regional Industrial Development Boards are contained in the Industrial Development Act Annual Report 2007-2008 (Adobe Acrobat Reader Document - 280.12kb).

How we make decisions

The information we commit to publishing under the Scheme is available on the South West of England Regional Development Agency website or in hard copy from the South West of England Regional Development Agency.  
 
It is the nature of the Board's work that it deals with much information from individual companies that is commercially sensitive, the release of which might prejudice commercial interests. For this reason, the Board publishes aggregate information about its work. Individual companies are not identified. 
 
Different copyright restrictions apply to individual documents published under the Scheme. Documents may be printed off or downloaded onto electronic, optical or similar storage media provided that such activities are for private research, study, or in-house use only. If such material is to be copied or reproduced users are asked to ensure that the material is reproduced accurately and not in a misleading context, that the status of the material is identified and the source of the material acknowledged. 
 
If you want to re-use or reproduce our publications, for example commercially or for circulation for education/ training purposes, you will in most cases need to apply for a copyright licence. 
 
The Board does not routinely produce its documents in languages other than English. However, at its discretion and subject to demand, information listed in the Scheme may be made available in other languages or formats (Braille, textphone, audio-cassette, CD or large print).

Responsibility for the Publication Scheme

We want our Publication Scheme to meet the needs of our customers and stakeholders. We therefore undertake to monitor demand for the information published in accordance with the Scheme and to review the Scheme on a regular basis. 
 
Overall responsibility for the Publication Scheme lies with Alison McCarthy, Information and FOI Officer at the South West of England Regional Development Agency.  
 
Day-to-day management of the scheme lies with Richard Hoskin, Business Investment Manager at the South West of England Regional Development Agency, to whom any comments about the Scheme should be sent. 
 
Richard Hoskin  
South West Regional Development Agency  
North Quay House  
Sutton Harbour  
Plymouth  
Devon  
PL4 0RA  
 
Telephone: 01752 234824  
Fax: 01752 234840  
Email: richard.hoskin@southwestrda.org.uk  

Complaints Procedure

If, following a request for information, you are dissatisfied with the response you have received from the South West RDA, you can seek an internal review of the decision by contacting: 
 
Alison McCarthy  
Information & FOI Officer 
South West RDA 
Sterling House 
Dix's Field 
Exeter 
EX1 1QA 
 
foi@southwestrda.org.uk 
 
If you do not agree with the decision we made regarding the disclosure of information and our use of the exemptions or exceptions under the Freedom of Information Act or the Environmental Information Regulations, then you can request a review of the decision by a panel of staff from our Decisions & Appeals Board. Our Freedom of Information Complaints Procedure (Adobe Acrobat Reader Document - 45.19kb) provides more information. 
 
If the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction, you can appeal to the Information Commissioner.  
Requests for a review by the Information Commissioner should be made in writing directly to: 
 
The Information Commissioner  
Wycliffe House  
Water Lane  
Wilmslow  
Cheshire SK9 5AF  
Tel: 01625 545700  
Fax: 01625 524510