Annual statistics suggested a widening economic gap between the regions. London s gross value added per head of population was 36 per cent above the average for the United Kingdom in 2005, while that for Wales was 22 per cent below it.
Source: Regional, Sub-regional and Local Gross Value Added, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Date: 2006-Dec
The government published a report on progress in implementing its target to make sustainable improvements in the economic performance of all English regions by 2008, and reduce the gap in growth rates between the regions.
Source: Regional Economic Performance: Progress to date, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Dec
A report examined the functions, impacts, and strengths of the eight English Regional Assemblies. It said that the development of a public service agreement for each region could provide the framework for the extension of the regional funding allocations process, and for further devolution of decision-making responsibilities in England.
Source: Regeneris Consulting, Adding Value to the Regions, English Regions Network (0121 678 1062)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Dec
A survey found that the economic competitiveness of London, the south-east and eastern England had fallen between 2005 and 2006, while competitiveness had improved in the other nine regions. The biggest improvements were in the normally least competitive regions of Northern Ireland, Yorkshire, Wales, and the north-east.
Source: UK Regional Competitiveness Index 2006, Work Foundation (0870 165 6700)
Links: Report | Work Foundation press release | FT report
Date: 2006-Nov
An article examined the monitoring arrangements, and the way indicators were used, in the development and monitoring of key regional strategies.
Source: Mark Baker and Cecilia Wong, 'Indicators and strategy monitoring: the case of the English regions', Environment and Planning B, Volume 33 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Oct
The government published (following consultation) a map of 'assisted areas' showing the zones where businesses could apply for regional aid for the period 2007-2013. It also unveiled a new package of measures to help areas left off the map.
Source: Review of the Assisted Areas: The Government s Response to Stage 2 of the Public Consultation, Department of Trade and Industry (0870 150 2500)
Links: Response | Hansard | DTI press release | Personnel Today report
Date: 2006-Oct
The government published its response to consultation on the national strategic reference framework for European Union structural funds programmes during the period 2007-2013. Mainstream competitiveness funding would be divided equally between the European Regional Development Fund (for regional development) and the European Social Fund (for promoting employment). ERDF competitiveness funding would be allocated to regions by reference to population, gross value added, and levels of innovation, enterprise and skills. ESF competitiveness funding would be allocated by reference to numbers of workless people, numbers of working-age people with no qualifications, and numbers of working-age people with low qualifications.
Source: Consultation on a Draft National Strategic Reference Framework for UK Structural Funds Programmes 2007-2013: Government Response to Consultation, Department of Trade and Industry (0870 150 2500)
Links: Response | Technical annex | Hansard
Date: 2006-Oct
The government began consultation on the draft European Social Fund operational programme for the period 2007-2013. The programme established the priorities for spending ESF in England to support policies to improve employment opportunities and develop human resources.
Source: Consultation on the European Social Fund in England and Gibraltar 2007-2013, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176)
Links: Consultation document | DWP press release | Personnel Today report
Date: 2006-Oct
A think-tank report said that there was a profound economic imbalance between the United Kingdom regions - with wealth creation, enterprise, and growth concentrated in London and south-east England, and high welfare dependency and large public sectors in north-east England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (in particular). Recent heavy public spending increases had not helped the latter; in fact they might have increased their dependence on southern taxpayers, and further reduced their attractiveness to talented young people.
Source: Nick Bosanquet, Seth Cumming and Andrew Haldenby, Whitehall s Last Colonies: Breaking the cycle of collectivisation in the UK regions, Reform (020 7799 6699)
Links: Report | Reform press release
Date: 2006-Jul
Household income per head of population in London was 19 per cent above the average for the United Kingdom in 2004, while the figure for the north-east region was 15 per cent below.
Source: Regional Household Income, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-May
A report said that public spending as a proportion of economic output across the regions in 2005-06 varied from 33.4 per cent in London to 71.3 per cent in Northern Ireland.
Source: Thushani Gajasinghe, Jonathan Said and Mark Pragnell, How Public Money is Spent in Each Region and Country of the UK, Centre for Economic and Business Research (020 7324 2850)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-May
A report called for greater investment in the regions outside London and the south east, faster rail links, more development at regional ports and airports, and new regional research clusters. It proposed a new statutory duty on all government agencies to promote development in regions and sub-regions that fell below average levels of national income.
Source: Connecting England: A framework for regional development, Town and Country Planning Association (020 7930 8903)
Links: Report | TCPA press release
Date: 2006-May
A think-tank report said that the declining amount of European Union regional funding for the United Kingdom should be spent primarily on northern cities.
Source: Adam Marshall and John Adams, Last Orders! What the new EU budget means for Britain s cities, Institute for Public Policy Research, available from Central Books (0845 458 9911)
Links: Report | IPPR press release | FT report
Date: 2006-Apr
A study sought to identify the key determinants of the economic viability and self-containment of geographical economies, and their variation and interaction across a range of geographical scales.
Source: Gwilym Pryce and Philip Mason, The Economic Viability and Self-Containment of Geographical Economies: A framework for analysis, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Date: 2006-Apr
An article said that there was a significant positive correlation between the extent to which a region's economy had become knowledge based and its level of income inequality.
Source: John Hudson, 'Inequality and the knowledge economy: running to stand still?', Social Policy and Society, Volume 5 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Apr
An article examined the main problems posed by European Union community economic development initiatives in the United Kingdom for monitoring and evaluating European Union Structural Funds.
Source: Harvey Armstrong and Peter Wells, 'Structural funds and the evaluation of community economic development initiatives in the UK: a critical perspective', Regional Studies, Volume 40 Number 2
Links: Article
Date: 2006-Apr
A report set out the ways in which the government aimed to strengthen the delivery of sustainable development in the English regions.
Source: Securing the Regions' Futures: Strengthening delivery of sustainable development in the English regions, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (08459 556000)
Links: Report | DEFRA press release
Date: 2006-Apr
A report said that the north-south regional divide had widened in the most recent (1997-2005) economic cycle.
Source: Regional Economic Prospects, Cambridge Econometrics (01223 460760)
Links: Link removed
Date: 2006-Mar
The government began consultation on a review of the areas that qualified for 'assisted area status', attracting economic funding to help boost competitiveness.
Source: Review of the Assisted Areas of the UK: Stage 1 Identifying Criteria, Department of Trade and Industry (0870 150 2500)
Links: Consultation document | DTI press release
Date: 2006-Feb
A paper explained the purpose, approach and methods for evaluating the impact of the English regional development agencies and their contribution to the achievement of regional and national objectives.
Source: PA Consulting and SQW Ltd, Evaluating the Impact of England s Regional Development Agencies: Developing a Methodology and Evaluation Framework, Occasional Paper 2, Department of Trade and Industry (0870 150 2500)
Links: Paper
Date: 2006-Feb
The government began consultation on priorities for European Union structural funds spending (used to promote regional development and employment) across the United Kingdom from 2007 to 2013. It said that the new priorities were expected to include a stronger focus on activities to support enterprise, innovation, sustainable communities and sustainable development, as well as boosting skills and employment.
Source: EU Structural Funds Programmes: 2007-2013 - Draft National Strategic Reference Framework, Department of Trade and Industry (0870 150 2500)
Links: Consultation document | DTI press release
Date: 2006-Feb
A report said that the capacity of cities and regions to absorb and adapt innovative ideas from elsewhere would have a major impact on their ability to stimulate economic growth.
Source: Sami Mahroum, Rob Huggins, Naomi Clayton, Kathy Pain and Peter Taylor, Innovation by Adoption: Measuring and mapping absorptive capacity in UK nations and regions, National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (020 7438 2500)
Date: 2006-Jan