Tory HQ denies reports of RDA review

Shadow business secretary Ken Clarke was last week quoted as saying that he had ordered a review on the future of England’s nine RDAs and that it would start with no "fixed views".

"We will then, finally, decide if there is any case for continuing with regional development agencies," the Northern Echo quoted Clarke as saying.

"I’ve been debating with my colleagues very recently. You plainly require a level of government below national level, bringing with it local knowledge and expertise and proper partnership with local people, below the level of Whitehall."

Clarke added: "(RDAs) do some good things. To be fair to them, some of them can point to playing a very important role. We must take the final decision before we take office."

But Tory Central Office said that Clarke has ordered no such review. In response to the reports, shadow communities secretary Caroline Spelman reaffirmed the Tory policy that would see RDAs lose their housing and planning powers and give groups of councils the option to set up local enterprise partnerships that would take over responsibility for economic development from the RDAs.

Spelman said:  "A Conservative government will allow local councils working with local business to come together and establish new local enterprise partnerships to take over from their RDAs the responsibility for economic development within those areas. We are currently drawing up detailed implementation plans to help deliver this policy. We will also scrap the red tape of regional planning, returning housing and planning powers back to local councils."

The Tories have repeatedly said they want to scrap some or all of the RDAs in their present form.