Regional Development Agencies Act 1998

Activities E+W

4 Purposes. E+W

(1) A regional development agency shall have the following purposes—

(a) to further the economic development and the regeneration of its area,

(b) to promote business efficiency, investment and competitiveness in its area,

(c) to promote employment in its area,

(d) to enhance the development and application of skills relevant to employment in its area, and

(e) to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom where it is relevant to its area to do so.

(2) A regional development agency’s purposes apply as much in relation to the rural parts of its area as in relation to the non-rural parts of its area.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 4 wholly in force at 3.7.2000; s. 4 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 43; s. 4 in force for certain purposes at 25.11.1998 by S.I. 1998/2952, art. 2(2); s. 4 in force at 3.7.2000 in so far as not already in force by S.I. 2000/1173, art. 2(2)(c)

5 Powers. E+W

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Part, a regional development agency may do anything which it considers expedient for its purposes, or for purposes incidental thereto.

(2) A regional development agency may only—

(a) give financial assistance,

(b) dispose of land for less than the best consideration which can reasonably be obtained, or

(c) form, or acquire an interest in, a body corporate,

if the Secretary of State consents.

(3) A regional development agency may only provide housing by acquiring existing housing accommodation and making it available on a temporary basis for purposes incidental to its purposes.

Commencement Information

I2 S. 5 partly in force; s. 5 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 43; s. 5 in force for certain purposes at 25.11.1998 by S.I. 1998/2952, art. 2(2)

6 Delegation of functions by Ministers. E+W

(1) A Minister of the Crown may, to such extent and subject to such conditions as he thinks fit, delegate any eligible function of his to a regional development agency.

(2) A function is eligible for the purposes of subsection (1) if—

(a) it does not consist of a power to make regulations or other instruments of a legislative character or a power to fix fees or charges, and

(b) the Secretary of State considers that it can appropriately be exercised by the regional development agency concerned.

(3) No delegation under subsection (1) may be made without the agreement of the regional development agency concerned, unless a corresponding delegation is made at the same time to all the other regional development agencies.

(4) No variation of a delegation under subsection (1) may be made without the agreement of the regional development agency concerned, unless—

(a) the delegation did not require the agency’s agreement, and

(b) a corresponding variation of every corresponding delegation to another regional development agency is made at the same time.

(5) A delegation under subsection (1) may be revoked at any time.

(6) Schedule 3 (which makes provision for transfer schemes in connection with the delegation of a function, or the revocation of the delegation of a function, under this section) shall have effect.

Commencement Information

I3 S. 6 partly in force; s. 6 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 43; s. 6 in force for certain purposes at 25.11.1998 by S.I. 1998/2952, art. 2(2)

Yn ddilys o 08/05/2000

[6A F1 Delegation of functions to the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency. E+W

(1) The power of a Minister of the Crown under section 6(1) to delegate a function—

(a) may be exercised to delegate the function to the Mayor of London instead of to the London Development Agency, and

(b) may only be exercised to delegate the function to the London Development Agency with the consent of the Mayor of London.

(2) Where a Minister of the Crown delegates a function to the Mayor of London under section 6(1) by virtue of subsection (1)(a)—

(a) section 6(3) and (4), and

(b) Schedule 3,

have effect in relation to the delegation as if the Mayor of London were for this purpose a regional development agency.

(3) In any case where—

(a) a function has been delegated to the Mayor of London under section 6(1) by virtue of subsection (1)(a), and

(b) the Mayor of London, by an authorisation given in accordance with section 38 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999, makes the function exercisable by the London Development Agency,

the authorisation must be made subject to such conditions as are necessary to ensure that any conditions subject to which the function is delegated to him are also imposed on the London Development Agency.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 6A inserted (8.5.2000) by 1999 c. 29, s. 305(2) (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/801, art. 2(2)(b), Sch. Pt. 2

7 Strategy. E+W

(1) A regional development agency shall—

(a) formulate, and keep under review, a strategy in relation to its purposes, and

(b) have regard to the strategy in exercising its functions.

(2) The Secretary of State may give a regional development agency guidance and directions in relation to the exercise of its functions under subsection (1), in particular, with respect to—

(a) the matters to be covered by the strategy,

(b) the issues to be taken into account in formulating the strategy,

(c) the strategy to be adopted in relation to any matter, and

(d) the updating of the strategy.

(3) The issues mentioned in subsection (2)(b) include issues relating to any one or more of the following—

(a) the agency’s area,

(b) the area of any other regional development agency, and

(c) any part of the United Kingdom outside England.

Commencement Information

I4 s. 7 partly in force; s. 7 not in force at Royal Assent s. 43; s. 7 in force for certain purposes at 25.11.1998 by S.I. 1998/2952, art. 2(2)

Yn ddilys o 03/07/2000

[7A F2 The London Development Agency strategy. E+W

(1) The London Development Agency shall formulate and submit to the Mayor of London (referred to in this section and section 7B as “the Mayor”) a draft strategy in relation to its purposes.

(2) As soon as reasonably practicable after the draft strategy has been submitted to the Mayor, the Mayor shall prepare and publish a document to be known as the “London Development Agency strategy”.

(3) The London Development Agency strategy published under subsection (2) shall be the draft strategy submitted to the Mayor under subsection (1), with such modifications (if any) as he considers appropriate.

(4) The London Development Agency shall keep the London Development Agency strategy under review and may submit proposed revisions of it to the Mayor.

(5) The London Development Agency and each of—

(a) Transport for London,

(b) the Metropolitan Police Authority, and

(c) the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority,

shall in the exercise of any function have regard to the London Development Agency strategy.

(6) The Mayor may give the London Development Agency guidance and directions, in particular, with respect—

(a) to the preparation, content and submission of the draft strategy under subsection (1), or

(b) to keeping the London Development Agency strategy under review.

(7) Where the Mayor revises the London Development Agency strategy, he shall publish it as revised.

(8) Before publishing the London Development Agency strategy the Mayor shall consult—

(a) the persons whom he is required to consult by virtue of section 42 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999, and

(b) the persons mentioned in section 2(3)(b) and (c).

(9) In this Act and the Greater London Authority Act 1999, references to the London Development Agency strategy include, except where the context otherwise requires, a reference to the London Development Agency strategy as revised.]

Textual Amendments

F2 S. 7A inserted (3.7.2000) by 1999 c. 29, s. 306(2) (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/801, art. 2(2)(c), Sch. Pt. 3

Yn ddilys o 03/07/2000

[7B F3 Secretary of State’s functions in relation to the London Development Agency strategy. E+W

(1) The Secretary of State may give guidance to the Mayor about the exercise of his functions in relation to the London Development Agency strategy with respect to—

(a) the matters to be covered by that strategy or that strategy as revised, and

(b) the issues to be taken into account in preparing or revising that strategy.

(2) Section 7(3) applies in relation to the issues mentioned in subsection (1)(b) as it applies in relation to the issues mentioned in section 7(2)(b).

(3) The Mayor is to have regard to any guidance given under subsection (1).

(4) Where the Secretary of State considers—

(a) that the London Development Agency strategy (or any part of it) is inconsistent with national policies, or

(b) that the London Development Agency strategy or its implementation is having, or is likely to have, a detrimental effect on any area outside Greater London,

he may direct the Mayor to make such revisions of the strategy as may be specified in the direction in order to remove the inconsistency or, as the case may be, the detrimental effect or likely detrimental effect.

(5) Where the Secretary of State gives the Mayor a direction under subsection (4), the Mayor shall revise the London Development Agency strategy in accordance with the direction.

(6) Where the Mayor revises the London Development Agency strategy in accordance with subsection (5), section 7A(8) and section 42 of the M1 Greater London Authority Act 1999 (consultation about strategies) shall not apply.

(7) For the purposes of this section “national policies” are any policies of Her Majesty’s government which are available in a written form and which—

(a) have been laid or announced before, or otherwise presented to, either House of Parliament, or

(b) have been published by a Minister of the Crown.]

Textual Amendments

F3 S. 7B inserted (3.7.2000) by 1999 c. 29, s. 307 (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/801, art. 2(2)(c), Sch. Pt. 3

Marginal Citations

M1 1999 c. 29.

8 Regional consultation. E+W

(1) If the Secretary of State is of the opinion—

(a) that there is a body which is representative of those in a regional development agency’s area with an interest in its work, and

(b) that the body is suitable to be given the role of regional chamber for the agency,

he may by directions to the agency designate the body as the regional chamber for the agency.

(2) The Secretary of State may by directions require a regional development agency for which there is a regional chamber under subsection (1)—

(a) to have regard, in the exercise of its functions under section 7(1)(a), to any views expressed by the chamber, and

(b) to consult the chamber in relation to the exercise of such of its functions as may be specified in the directions.

(3) The Secretary of State may give a regional development agency for which there is no regional chamber under subsection (1) such guidance and directions as he thinks fit for the purpose of securing that it carries out appropriate consultation in relation to the exercise of its functions.

Commencement Information

I5 S. 8 partly in force; s. 8 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 43; s. 8 in force for certain purposes at 25.11.1998 by S.I. 1998/2952, art. 2(2)