MINUTES OF THE BOARD MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY, 13 OCTOBER 2005 AT RENAISSANCE HOUSE, WARRINGTON

Present: 
Bryan Gray (Chairman)
David Brockbank
Sir Martin Harris
Peter Hensman
Robert Johnston
Dave McCall
Marie Rimmer
Anil Ruia
Mike Storey
Maureen Williams
John Merry 

Also Present: 
Steven Broomhead
Bernice Law (Secretary)
Judith Long (GONW)
Ian Haythornthwaite (72/07)
Helen France (72/04)(72/05)
 
72/00 PRESENTATION: CATHY GARNER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MANCHESTER KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL
 
The Board received a presentation from Cathy Garner, Chief Executive of Manchester Knowledge Capital outlining the vision for the Manchester City region.

The Manchester City Region will be economically successful and socially inclusive through the use of its competitive combination of human, intellectual, physical, cultural financial and social assets.  The aim is to have transformation through innovation.

The three main objectives are:

• Increasing innovation from research, science and knowledge.
• Engaging the people of Manchester in education, employment, engagement and aspiration
• Creating the environment for business success, quality of life and openness to all.

The Board were told that Manchester Knowledge Capital have success criteria for 2015 and are currently working with partners to establish indicators to measure success.

Sir Martin Harris put the vision and objectives into a regional context and talked about Manchester as an economic driver for the region.
 
72/01 INTRODUCTION AND APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies were received from Joe Dwek, Pauleen Lane, Brenda Smith and John Moverley.

72/02 MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 15 SEPTEMBER 2005

These were approved as a correct record.

72/03 ACTION POINTS FROM LAST MEETING AND MATTERS ARISING 
 
The Board noted the Action Points from previous meetings.

ITEMS FOR INFORMATION
 
72/04 URBAN REGENERATION COMPANIES
 
Mike Storey and John Merry declared an interest in this item.

The Board noted the report, which summarised the progress made by each Urban Regeneration Company (URC). In addition, the Chief Executive provided a verbal update on the evaluation of Liverpool Vision, which had recently been carried out.

The Board considered the implications for URCs given the outcome of the RES Review and the development of Sub Regional Partnerships and City Region Development Programmes.

The Board agreed that the Agency should continue to develop a more regional/thematic approach to the way in which it works with URCs and were pleased to note that the Agency was developing cross URC policy to enable sharing of good practice and the development of specialist knowledge, as appropriate.  The Board also agreed that the Agency was unlikely to create any new URCs and that a review of current delivery vehicles and an assessment of potential new delivery arrangements would be conducted during 2006/07.
 
72/05 NORTH WEST REGIONAL ASSEMBLY REVIEW OF SUB REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
 
The Board noted the recommendations from the recent Select Committee Hearing on Sub Regional Partnerships (SRPs), which had been undertaken by the North West Regional Assembly.

The Board endorsed the Agency’s response to the recommendations.

72/06 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT 
 
Restructuring of the Learning and Skills Council
The Board noted the proposed restructuring of the Learning and Skills Council, (which had been announced on 16 September) and the subsequent implications.  

NWDA Annual General Meeting – Analysis of the Event
The Board noted the analysis of the NWDA AGM, which had been held on 16 September.   The Chief Executive reported that the provisional date for the next AGM would be 4 October 2006.
 
New RDA Performance Assessment
The Board noted the proposals for a new performance management system to assess RDAs performance, which had been announced in the 2005 Budget, and which would be conducted by the National Audit Office on each RDA. In particular, the Board noted that NWDA had agreed to be the first RDA to be assessed under the new system and that the assessment was likely to take place around the end of February.

Action
The Chief Executive would provide a further report to the November Board.

Freedom of Information Act – Update
The Board noted the number of requests that the Agency had received under the Freedom of Information Act since its introduction in January 2005 until the end of August 2005.  The Board also noted in detail the action that had been taken with each request.

Action
A report on the first year of FOI would be presented to the February 2006 Board.

House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology – Strategic Science Provision in English Universities
The Board noted the summary of key recommendations from the House of Commons Select Committee in respect of science provision in English Universities and the Government’s response to those recommendations. 

BBC Move to the North
The Board noted that the Chief Executive had written to the Director General of the BBC to reinforce the Agency’s support for the BBC relocation in 2010.  The Board noted that the BBC had narrowed its current considerations to four location options within Manchester / Salford. The options include the development of a “stand alone” BBC site or a more ambitious Media Enterprise Zone (MEZ).

The BBC Board of Governors will consider the relocation proposals on 20 October.

RES Update
The Board noted that the three-month RES consultation period had ended on 30 September.  Over 70 consultation events had taken place.  The Board also noted that further discussions would take place with Government Office based on their written feedback, which had been presented to the Board for information.
 
72/07 FINANCE DIRECTOR’S REPORT 
 
The Board noted

• The Agency’s financial position for period ending 31 August 2005.
• The progress the Agency had made to deliver efficiency targets agreed with DTI.
• The approved delegations for the period 18 August 2005 to 19 September 2005.

The Board approved Single Tender Actions for the Hadrian’s Wall project and Mann Island pre – development costs.

72/08 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
 
The Board noted the following:

• The West Cumbria Strategic Forum met in September. Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, chaired the meeting.
• The Chairman, as lead RDA Chair, had led a dinner with Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Education and Skills.
• The NWDA Chairman is working with the LSC Chair on the detail of the LSC restructuring exercise.
• A number of meetings had taken place on the fringe of the Labour Party Conference in Brighton.

The Board considered the letter from the Chairman following the Cumbria visit in September 2005.

• It was agreed that policies would be prepared on key subjects for decision, where appropriate, by Sub Committees and the Board.
• The Chairman would take Board members’ views on the evolution of Sub Committees, during the Annual Performance discussions in November.
• It was agreed that the Board would dedicate time to the Spending Review 2007 during the Away Day in February 2006.
• The Board agreed that the management arrangements, in respect of the Agency’s relationship with Sub Regions should be reviewed to ensure plans are in place to implement the RES.  It was agreed that the Board meeting on 15 December would commence at 8.30 a.m. with the main item of business being the 2006/07 - 2008/09 investment proposals.

72/09 MINUTES OF THE ENTERPRISE AND INNOVATION SUB COMMITTEE HELD ON 14 SEPTEMBER 2005.
 
The Board noted the minutes from the meeting.
 
72/10 MINUTES OF THE URBAN SUB COMMITTEE HELD ON 14 SEPTEMBER 2005.
 
The Board noted the minutes from the meeting.
 
72/11 MINUTES OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE SUB COMMITTEE HELD ON 16 SEPTEMBER 2005.
The Board noted the minutes from the meeting.
 
72/12 MINUTES OF THE SOCIAL INCLUSION SUB COMMITTEE 
 
The Board noted the minutes from the meeting.

DATE AND TIME OF THE NEXT BOARD MEETING

The next meeting will be at Renaissance House on 17 November 2005 at 12.45pm.