MPs call for scrutiny bid to go ahead
Nov 7 2007 by William Green, The Journal
MINISTERS are under pressure over claims that proposals to hand North-East MPs more power to hold the Government to account over its regional record may be ditched.
The creation of regional select committees able to grill ministers and regional agencies formed a key plank of Government proposals designed to improve accountability earlier this year.
But the Labour minister in charge of modernising the Commons is reported to have serious doubts and believes the plans could be an expensive failure.
Commons Leader Harriet Harman is understood to favour more informal structures like grand committees used by Scottish and Welsh MPs – although they have no power to call evidence or produce substantial reports like select committees.
And Deputy Commons Leader Helen Goodman, MP for Bishop Auckland, yesterday said the cross-party Commons modernisation committee had been asked to develop ideas on how to fill the regional accountability gap.
“That means there will be some kind of regional committees but what will be the exact powers and ways they are constructed is undecided,” said Ms Goodman, who stressed plans for one region might not be good for another.
Her comments come in the wake of plans to hand development chiefs at One NorthEast more powers and scrap regional assemblies as part of a shake-up of regional government.
Kevan Jones, Labour MP for Durham North, said: “I want the regional select committees which is what we were promised because we need scrutiny over the regional policy. And it will also give a role for MPs in the region to scrutinise One NorthEast and others and fill the void we have got in terms of accountability.”
Nick Brown, North-East Minister and Newcastle MP, said: “I am very much in favour of individual select committees, one per region, to look at the implementation of Government policy in the regions.”
Ross Smith, from the North East Chamber of Commerce, said: “We have seen too many decisions in the past which are perfectly sensible in the South-East but are not really applicable up here.”
Hexham Conservative MP Peter Atkinson branded the proposals for regional select committees as a “back of an envelope job” and questioned how they could be meaningful with the majority of North-East MPs being Labour.
Local government was the key and the Association of North East Councils could potentially play a key role, said the Conservative MP.
