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Regional Policy

Regional Development Agencies

Trade union members sit on the boards of the nine Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in the English Regions. RDAs are public bodies which act as strategic drivers of regional economic development. The trade union RDA board members are supported by their TUC regional offices.

RDAs aim to co-ordinate regional economic development and regeneration, enable the regions to improve their relative competitiveness and reduce the imbalance that exists within and between regions. Under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998, each RDA has five statutory purposes, which are:

· To further economic development and regeneration
· To promote business efficiency, investment and competitiveness
· To promote employment
· To enhance development and application of skill relevant to employment
· To contribute to sustainable development

The RDAs' agenda includes regional regeneration, taking forward regional competitiveness, taking the lead on regional inward investment. Working with regional partners, RDAs ensure the development of a regional skills action plan to ensure that skills training matches the needs of the labour market.

The TUC publishes quarterly briefings on regional development issues to support the work of trade unionists to promote economic development.

For more information about RDAs, visit http://www.berr.gov.uk/regional/index.html

For more information about your TUC regional office, visit http://www.tuc.org.uk/tuc/regions_main.cfm

The TUC contact for RDA issues is Matt Dykes. E-mail mdykes@tuc.org.uk



The most recent documents available on this subject are:

TUC welcome for government's adoption of Heseltine plan

Welcoming the news today (Monday) that the government is to adopt the overwhelming majority of the recommendations contained in Lord Heseltine's No Stone Unturned report published last autumn, TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said:

18 March 2013
Government's local pay plans could cost local economies almost £10 billion a year

There is no evidence that the pay of teachers, nurses and dinner ladies is preventing local firms from hiring staff, and government plans to introduce regional pay rates for public servants could cost the economy almost £10 billion a year, according ...

16 July 2012
A strategy for coal and gas

TUC Clean Coal Task Group Submission to DECC's 'Call for evidence on the role of gas in the electricity market," June 2012. The government should complement its gas strategy with a similar review of the role of coal in the energy mix in order to dev...

6 July 2012
Coal and the Energy Bill, June 2012

Coal and the Energy Bill, June 2012: TUC Clean Coal Task Group Submission to the Energy & Climate Change Committee. This TUC Briefing sets out 4 key reforms to the Energy Bill essential to secure investment in clean coal technology, develop UK mining...

6 July 2012
A Roadmap for Coal

Coal, it appears, is the forgotten fuel, both in the Energy Bill and in DECC's new gas strategy. UK mining industry directly employs over 6,000 people and at least the same again in coal power stations, rail and transport infrastructure. With coal ge...

6 July 2012
Thousands of jobs at risk from defence spending cuts

Trade unionists are warning thousands of jobs in the South West are at risk from plans to cut the Ministry of Defence's £37 billion budget by up to a fifth...

5 October 2010
Older documents - 2 >



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