Monday 17 November

REGIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY

MPs have backed a new system of scrutiny by select and grand committees for each of the eight English regions.  Leader of the House, Harriet Harman presented the proposals on November 12 following recommendations by the House of Commons Modernisation Committee earlier in 2008.


Regional accountability to Parliament - questions and answers

The Leader of the House of Commons presented proposals to MPs on November 12 to establish a new system of select and grand committees to improve the accountability of the English regions.

Q.  What did the House of Commons decide?

A.  The House voted to set up eight regional select committees - one for each of the English regions, excluding London initially.

The select committees have truncated terms of reference compared to main departmental select committees (to limit the frequency of meetings and potential for travel) and, as a result, they are likely to meet publicly between four and six times a year.

Each select committee will have nine members, reflecting the national political balance, with the possibility of members nominated from outside the region where required.

Their remit is to scrutinise the work of regional strategies and other regionally constituted bodies. It is for the committees to decide themselves which bodies are suitable for the subject of inquiries.

The House of Commons also voted to establish eight regional grand committees for the eight English regions (again, excluding London), probably meeting once or twice a year. These will provide a forum for involvements of all MPs from each region and for regional Ministers to take oral questions.

The sittings will follow broadly the same format as existing grand committees:

- Regional Ministers' Question Time (~45mins), with questions tabled in advance.
- Long Debate (around 1.5 to 2.5hrs) on a specific regional topic with two Ministers, including the regional minister.
- Short Adjournment Debate on a local issue with two Ministers, including the regional minister.

Replies to any oral questions tabled for regional ministers which are not reached within 45 minutes will be printed with the official report of the committee's debates for that day.

Q & A

Q.  Why have the committees been set up?
 
A.  The Government agreed with the Modernisation Committee of the House that there is an "accountability gap" in the regions and that there is a need for greater scrutiny of regional strategies and regional bodies.

Q.  What's the difference between the two types of committees?

A.  Regional select committees will bring together selected MPs to conduct focussed and effective investigations that make clear recommendations for change.  Regional grand committees will bring together all MPs from their region, to consider the "state of the region" and provide a forum for regional Ministers to take oral questions on their work.  Grand committees operate more like proceedings in the main Chamber, with provision for statements, question time and general debates.

Q.  What will Regional Select Committees scrutinise?

A.  This is for the committees to decide, but their remit covers regional strategies and the work of regional bodies, looking at the development or implementation of policies where there is a regional aspect to decision-making and delivery.

Q. Is the creation of the committees a justified use of public money?

A.  Yes. Regional agencies deliver billions of pounds of public money and affect the lives of every citizen and every business. Parliament will keep the new arrangements under review and the resources involved will be a considered as part of this. The cost of operating the committees is a very small proportion of the overall regional spending.

Q. How much is spent by regional agencies?

A. In 2007-08, for example, Regional Development Agencies were responsible for a collective budget of £2.3 billion. Other large public bodies whose budget has a significant impact on the regions include the Strategic Health Authorities, which manage the NHS in the regions, the Learning and Skills Council (annual budget is £10.4bn), the Highways Agency (annual budget is £6bn) and Arts Council England (£1.1bn): source Modernisation Committee report.

Q.  What about London? What is Government's view?

A.  The Government holds the view that the position of London is different from that of the other regions, because of the special governance arrangements already in place in the form of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.  The Leader of the House announced during the debate on November 12 that the Government will consider how arrangement could be made for additional accountability for London and will bring forward proposals early in 2009.

Q. Will there be local authority involvement in the committees?

A.  No. The Government agreed with the Modernisation Committee that it would not be appropriate for local authority members to sit as full 'members' of a regional select committee. A proposal to permit the committees themselves to include local councillors in their sessions was rejected by the House of Commons. Local councillors, however, will be able to appear before the committees to give evidence if required.

Q. What regional select committees are being set up?

A. One for each English region - East, East Midlands, North East, North West, South East, South West, West Midlands and Yorkshire/Humber.

Q. How is the membership of the regional select committee decided?

A.  In the debate on November 12, the House agreed that this should be in line with normal House principles (e.g. the Scottish Affairs Committee is structured on national Parliamentary proportions).  The inclusion of MPs from outside a region, if necessary, does not conflict with the aim of improving accountability in the English regions. The House agreed that each committee should have up to nine members.

Q. What is the political balance of the membership?

A. The composition should reflect the party balance of the House as a whole. According to the present party balance, with a committee of nine members there would be five from the Government benches, three from the Conservative benches and one from the third/minority party benches. The House would expect almost all of the proposed nominations from the Committee of Selection to be from the relevant region, but with freedom to nominate from outside it. Under the current composition of the House additional Opposition members will be required in the North East Committee. It is expected that the chair of each committee would be from the relevant region, although this ultimately is a matter for the committee.

Q. How often will the select committees meet?

A.  Government accepts that, at this stage, it would not be appropriate to set a precise limit of the number of meetings. If each committee met on average once in each period between parliamentary recesses (six public meetings), there would be around 50 meetings in total each year.

Q. Will they have the powers to meet away from Westminster?

A. The House accepted the view of the Modernisation Committee, which the Government supports, that regional select committees should have the power to travel within the UK and that the large majority of their meetings should be within their specified regions.

Q. Will members of regional select committees be paid in addition to their MP's salary?

A. No. The House on November 12 also voted against a proposal that, in line with other select committees, there should be additional remuneration for the chair of each regional select committee.

Q. What will be the annual cost of running the regional select and regional grand committees?

A. The Modernisation Committee, in an annex to its report, set out a detailed estimate, including the employment of additional staff, transcription of sessions, printing, travel and accommodation, extra pay for committee chairmen and other expenditure. According to the explanatory memorandum, published by the House, the estimate cost for eight regional select committees meeting 6 times a year each and eight regional grand committees meeting twice a year each is £1,346,132. This estimate does not include the provision of locally-based staff but does include pay for Chairman which will not be paid following the decision of the House.

Q. What is the Government's view of cost?

A. Effective scrutiny encourages efficient use of public money. The Government takes the view that, while efforts should be made to keep costs to a minimum, it should be recognised that the scale of the costs envisaged is a proportionate response to the levels of spending by RDAs and other regional bodies. Government agrees that actual costs should be monitored and taken into account in any review.

Q. How will regional Ministers be accountable?

A. Regional Ministers may be called to give oral evidence to the relevant select committee and will answer oral questions in the relevant grand committee meetings.

Q. Does this mean that Regional Ministers will be questioned about national departmental matters?

A. The Regional Ministers do not cut across the work of the national departments responsible for specific policies and, as a result, are NOT responsible for the exercise of departmental responsibilities within that region.

Q. Will the new committees be permanent?

A. The Government agrees with the Modernisation Committee's view in particular that the new committees - both select and Grand - should be set up on a temporary basis initially. There would be a review of the relevant standing orders of the House at the end of the current Parliament.

Q. Why is there no role for members of the House of Lords?

A. Members of the House of Lords have no regional status since they are not elected.