Presentation to the South West Regional Assembly

1. Presentation to the South West Regional Assembly Jane Henderson 14 July 2006

2. South West of England Regional Development Agency: What we do and how we do it Our job is to help create a more prosperous and sustainable future for the region by: • Supporting business creation and growth • Encouraging innovation • Ensuring the workforce has the right skills • Cleaning up sites; providing workspace • Regenerating run-down communities • Building the communities of the future • Developing the rural economy • Promoting what is best about the South West • Bringing private and public investment into the region

3. Scrutiny protocol • New protocol launched 19 June • Builds on learning from previous protocol • Focus on joint strategic review • RDA Board scrutiny ‘champion’ • Reporting of Scrutiny Panel recommendations to the Board • increased flexibility in the selection of topics • extended timetables and deadlines in the process • Topics: • Quality of employment opportunity • Cities and Regions

4. Scrutiny – Sustainable energy • Review just completed very productive • Added value • Good constructive discussion • Recommendations emerge from the whole process – apply to a range of actors • Drawing together RDA formal response

5. Regional economy: challenges • Lowest unemployment rate in England, but .. • Modest growth rates projected but more vulnerable • Reasonable employment growth but redundancies in some sectors • Fewer exporters and less inward investment relative to other regions • Impact of globalisation and newly industrialising countries • Productivity challenge remains critical

6. Unfolding agendas • City regions debate • LAAs/ LEGIs • Questions about the role of regional institutions • Local Government White Paper • CSR 2007 • European funding • Transport

7. 2005/6 – Key achievements • Progress • RES review • Priority Sectors • Business Support • Strategy alignment • Aligned planning decisions • Innovation • Quality projects • Sharing good practice/ evaluation • Regional evidence base • Integrated new responsibilities

8. - I indicator End of Disaggregation Year Rural Urban Disadvantag Total ed Areas 1. Job Creation – number of jobs created 2,646 3,655 1,400 6,301 or safeguarded (42%) (58%) (22%) 2. Employment Support – number of 1683 230 176 1,913 people assisted to get a job (88%) (12%) (9%) 3. Business Creation – number of new businesses created and demonstrating 52 146 70 198 growth after 12 months, and businesses (26%) (74%) (35%) attracted to the region 4. Business Support – number of 5698 3068 1,248 8,766 businesses assisted to improve their (65%) (35%) (14%) perfo rmance a. Number of businesses within the region engaged in new collaborations with the 22 734 * * UK knowledge base (knowledge (2%) base/business collaboration )* 5. Regeneration – public and private £184m £216m £32m £107m regeneration infra structure investment (70% (71%) (75% Private ) (71% Private ) levered (£m/ %private) Private ) (15%) (49%) (85%) a. Brownfield land reclaimed and/or 54.8 47.8 9.7 93.6 redeveloped (49%) (51%) (10%) 6. Skills – number of people assisted in 18,423 1,176 2,630 19,599 their skills development as a result of (94%) (6%) (13%) RDA programmes a. Number of adults gaining basic skills as 53 part of the skills for life strategy that 512 * * (10%) count towards the skills PSA target b. Number of adults in the workforce who lack a full level 2 or equivalent 1,024 306 18 qualification who are supported in 1,330 (77%) (23%) (1%) achieving at least a full level 2 qualification or equivalent 2005/6 - Outputs

9. 2005/6 leadership • 2012 Games • Tourism development • Defence procurement • Enabling broadband • Urban development – The Way Ahead • SPark • European funding

10. Key meetings at Ministerial level • RDA Chairs: • Prime Minister • Douglas Alexander MP - DFT • Margaret Hodge – DTI • EU Commissioner for Regional Policy • John Prescott/Jim Knight at the Way Ahead Conference • Other recent meetings with Ministers • Shaun Woodward - tourism • Richard Caborn – Sport • Kay Andrews – DCLG • Phil Woolas - DCLG

11. Independent Performance Assessment • IPA process managed by the National Audit Office (NAO) on behalf of the government. • Each RDA produces a self-assessment SWRDA's published in June • NAO then publish own assessment of our performance - score • IPA outcomes part of the evidence base for CSR2007 • A rigorous 360 degree view of our capacity and performance will help shape and lend impetus to improvement and change

12. Looking ahead: continuous improvement • Sharpening our focus • Improving relationships with partners and stakeholders • Sense of place: bridging the regional and the local • Connecting with business • Smarter processes and evaluation • Open communications • Developing our people

13. Looking forward • European Programmes • 2012 • Creative Industries Summit • CSR07 outcomes • SW England campaign • IPA outcomes • RES Big debates

14. Into the future: the RES Debates • Growth within environmental limits • Population change • Globalization • Energy challenges • Regional leadership!