Video message at launch of the Regional Leaders Forum

17 July

I’m delighted to have the opportunity to say a few words to your conference in my role as Minister for the North West.

I am particularly pleased that you are holding your event in Liverpool during its year as European Capital of Culture.  Liverpool is doing itself, the region and the UK proud by showcasing the cultural diversity that made the city famous throughout the world.

Role of Regional Ministers

Let me start by saying a few words about the role of Regional Ministers.

Regional Ministers were appointed last July and are the personal initiative of the Prime Minister. 

We are our region’s ambassadors in Whitehall, championing all the good things that our region has to offer and ensuring that the region’s voice is heard when central Government is making decisions.

We make sure that people in the region know what is going on in Whitehall and how it affects them.

We work with – and challenge - regional partners so that that they are doing their best for the people of their region.

Today, I want to talk to you about two things.

•  the Sub National Review (of Economic Development and Regeneration); and
• The Government’s draft legislative programme.

Regions are the fundamental drivers of the UK economy.

We need to improve their economic performance so that we are creating more jobs and ensuring that these new jobs are available and accessible to the most disadvantaged people in our communities.

The SNR provides a real opportunity for us to re-examine what we do and how we do it. 

The SNR is not prescriptive.  It allows regions to develop arrangements that work for them. 

The key elements will be well known to most people by now.

·       A single regional strategy to bring together policies on jobs, housing, transport and the environment together in one place.  

·       An expanded Regional Funding Allocations exercise providing 'joined-up' advice to Government on a number of key funding streams.

·       A much greater role for city regions in particular and sub-regions in general because economic activity does not respect administrative boundaries.

·       Greater delegation of funding and programmes from Regional Development Agencies to local authorities.

·       A greater role for local authorities in promoting economic development.

·       Enhanced accountability through Regional Ministers and Regional Select Committees. 

Our region played a major role in influencing the development of the SNR and has led the way in implementation since the SNR was published last July.

We held a very successful consultation event on the SNR on 12 May in Warrington.

There are already proposals for new regional governance arrangements which you will hear about today and which I very much welcome. 

Multi Area Agreements are being developed in several parts of the region with the Manchester MAA being the most advanced. 

The Regional Development Agency is working with its sub regional partnerships to develop arrangements for delegation. 

The NWDA and Regional Leaders Forum have begun the process of revising and refreshing the regional strategy in order to:

·       Set out a clear vision of where we want the Region to go

·       Refresh and revise economic development actions and priorities building on the existing Regional Economic Strategy

·       Integrate priorities in the Regional Spatial Strategy with actions to achieve sustainable economic growth. 

This will prepare the region to work swiftly and effectively on an Integrated Regional Strategy after any necessary legislative changes.

To implement the SNR effectively, we need to do much more than reform structures and processes and change the roles of different organisations. 

We need to raise our game in terms of joined up strategic planning, identifying and responding to the big issues that will face us over the coming decades such as climate change and the price and security of energy supplies.

We must be clear about the economic role of different places within the region such as our major cities, our coastal resorts, our market towns, and our rural areas.  One size does not fit all in the North West.

We need to maximise the return on the investment from public funding.  This means taking tough decisions on priorities.  The existing Regional Economic Strategy has already begun to do this and it has not always been popular.

We must continually improve our understanding of the causes of disparities and variations in economic performance. 

And we need to improve and share our learning about which interventions are most effective.

I would urge you all to start thinking today about what your organisation will do differently. 

The SNR is about transformation, not business as usual.

I know that the North West will rise to the challenge. 

As Regional Minister I am committed to working with you to achieve the best possible outcomes for the people of our region.

 In July last year, the Government published its first Draft Legislative Programme.  This gave people the opportunity to comment on the priorities being set by the Government.  The innovation was widely welcomed.

This year the Programme is being published two months earlier to give more opportunity for people to comment before the consultation closes on 6 August.

Our programme is called “Preparing Britain for the Future”.  It addresses four key themes:

Economic stability.   We need to make sure that we steer the economy and our people through the global downturn and that we are well prepared for future opportunities and challenges.

Making the most of your potential.   We are committed to building a fairer and more equal Britain where people make the most of their abilities and the benefits of economic growth are available to all, not just some.

Personalised and improved public services.  We want to put patients, parents, tenants and citizens in more control of the services they receive.

Handing power back to the people.  We will give people and local communities more voice in how their services and neighbourhoods are run.