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SUMMARY BOARD MINUTES OF THE TWENTY SEVENTH
MEETING
HELD ON THURSDAY 24 MAY 2001
- FEEDBACK TO STAFF
The key points at the last Board meeting were:-
Best Value Advisory Group
The Board discussed a proposal to establish
a Best Value Advisory Group. They noted that SEEDA's programme
expenditure was governed by a strategy, corporate planning and
project appraisal processes and delegation arrangements that ensured
the proper involvement of the Board. However SEEDA's Administration
budget has been largely delegated to the Chief Executive and is
governed (currently) by DETR's Financial Memorandum and Management
Statement. The Best Value Advisory Group will add to these arrangements
by drawing in best practice from both the private sector and the
public sector.
The Board agreed that the Group will form a
separate sub-group of the Audit and Remuneration Committee.
Review of Learning and Workforce Accountability
Plan (SAP)
The Board undertook its first review of a SAP
(a schedule of reviews will be circulated shortly). The review
had confirmed that all necessary work was being undertaken and
that all milestones were expected to be completed on schedule.
Members briefly discussed the growing relationship with the region's
Local Learning and Skills Councils and noted that Executive Directors
of the LLSCs were attending a briefing event organised by SEEDA
on 11 July.
It was agreed that the revised Learning and
Workforce SAP should be placed on the SEEDA website.
"Public Service Agreements" Negotiations
SEEDA had been undertaking considerable research
so that SEEDA, and the region, was in as strong a position as
possible before entering into the PSA negotiations with Government.
Business Strategies Limited have produced an interim report and
Robert Huggins was continuing his work of benchmarking the South
East region against comparable regions around the world. Early
findings from this work showed that productivity rates in the
South East remained lower than in comparable regions.
The Board noted that the report showed some
interesting findings (e.g. Hampshire's GDP was similar to the
GDP for the entire North East region). They noted that the South
East economy (and London) continues to lead the way for the national
economy and move away from the rest of the UK and briefly discussed
the implications for the national economy if the South East economy
stalled. A further consideration is to identify the rate at which
the South East economy can grow in a sustainable way?
The Board welcomed all the work that was being carried out to
help SEEDA prepare for the PSA negotiations and confirmed that
this was one of SEEDA's top priorities.
Foot and Mouth Update
Sarah Ward noted that there had been no new
cases of Foot and Mouth in the region since the last report to
the Board and that all 'infected area' designations in the region
have now been lifted.
SEEDA has been given an additional £1
million for grants to individual businesses affected by FMD from
the second allocation of £24m (SEEDA Business Recovery Fund).
In addition a SEEDA support package of £500,000 has been
developed towards the economic Regional Recovery Plan. This funding
will support tourism and provide for additional appropriate and
focussed business advice and counselling for SMEs affected by
the Foot and Mouth crisis, through the Business Link network.
Members discussed the impact on the South
East economy, noting that seaside resorts had been experiencing
good trade but that South East Market Towns had witnessed a severe
downturn in business and that the agricultural trade had been
badly affected by the loss of the export trade.
Chairman's Report
The Chairman informed the Board of some of the
key meetings that he has held since the previous Board meeting
noting that he had cut back on some of his regional activities
since he was devoting considerable time to his responsibilities
as the RDA Chair of Chairs. He had hosted a lunch in Milton Keynes
for key players involved in the development of Central Milton
Keynes together. The lunch revealed a general unanimity of view
and buy-in from these key players. A visit to Bracknell Forest
Borough Council focussed on the way forward on the development
of the Town Centre following the refusal of planning permission
by DETR to the Legal and General and Bracknell Regeneration Trust
development proposals.
Regeneration and Communities Committee
The Chairman reminded Members that he carried
out an annual review of each RES related Committee. He now felt
it would be a good idea if the Main Board, following each review
of a Board Committee, briefly discussed the work of the Committee.
This would allow the Board to be briefed on the work and activity
of that particular Committee and give the Board an opportunity
to discuss and recognise the work of the Committee.
The Board noted that the relatively new
Committee (formed from the merger of the "Regeneration"
and "Voluntary Sector" Committees) had made a good start.
Priority activities for the Committee are the June Conference
and considering the development of new regeneration programmes
to succeed SRB.
Regional Centre of Manufacturing Excellence
(RCME)
The Board noted that this proposal tied in with
one of the RES initiatives, was included in the business SAP and
that establishing a network of RCMEs was an initiative launched
under the DTI/DfEE White Paper. DTI had provided funding for the
initiative although this also required matched funding from SEEDA.
SEEDA Fund for Learning
and Skills
The Board noted the results of the SEEDA Fund
for Learning and Skills competition.
Market Towns - Update
Members noted that the current rules for the
funding of the new Market Towns programme constrained the funding
to Market Towns in Rural Priority Areas or the areas adjacent
to them. This situation would change when the Single Budget regime
comes into effect in April 2002.
Board Meeting Dates - 2002 (Paper 24/05/01-15)
The dates fort Board meetings in 2002 were agreed
as follows:-
Thursday 24 January
Thursday 21 February
Thursday 21 March
Thursday 25 April
Thursday 23 May
Thursday 27 June
Thursday 25 July
No Board Meeting in August
Thursday 19 September
Thursday 17 October
Thursday 21 November
Thursday 19 December
Date of Next Meeting
Thursday 26 July 2001, at SEEDA Headquarters,
Guildford (the meeting on 28 June is now a Board Awayday).
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