SOUTH WEST OF ENGLAND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY 
MINUTES OF THE 63rd BOARD MEETING 21 March 2005 
Sterling House, Exeter 
 
Present:  
 
Juliet Williams - Chairman (until item 4) 
Nick Buckland - Deputy Chairman (in the Chair after item 4) 
Cathy Bakewell - Board Member 
Christine Channon - Board Member 
Nigel Costley - Board Member 
Alan Courts - Board Member 
Duncan Hames - Board Member 
Brian Kemp - Board Member 
Christine Reid - Board Member 
Judith Reynolds - Board Member 
Colin Skellett - Board Member 
Harry Studholme - Board Member 
Eric Thomas - Board Member 
 
In attendance: 
 
Geoffrey Wilkinson - Chief Executive 
Suzanne Bond - Director of Strategy and Communications 
Nick Lewis - Director of Corporate Services 
Colin Molton - Director of Operations and Development 
Stephen Peacock - Director of Enterprise and Innovation 
Caroline Bloodworth - Corporate and Parliamentary Affairs  
 
Apologies: 
 
Jonathon Porritt - Board Member  
 
1. MINUTES FROM 61st and 62nd MEETINGS AND MATTERS ARISING 
 
The minutes of the 61st and 62nd meetings were agreed as a correct record.  
 
It was agreed that Stephen Peacock would provide Board members with additional briefings on Business Link as required but outside the board meeting. Such briefing would cover the structure of the organisation in the region and the impact of the transfer to the Agency on 1 April.  
 
It was agreed that the February Issues meeting at Portland had been a success and positive feedback had been received from various sources including DCMS and the Regional Assembly. 
 
2. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT 
 
The Chairman explained that she had been called to a meeting at the DTi and would be departing after item 3 to travel to London. The Chairman drew to the attention of the Board the Chancellor's Budget announcement that Bristol had been designated a Science City and reported that she had attended her first meeting of the VisitBritain Board on 17 March representing the English regions. 
 
3. CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT 
 
Geoff Wilkinson reported that Agency expenditure in 2004/5 might result in an underspend as a result of late confirmation of end of year flexibility and the additional allocation for RAB write off costs. The 2005/6 funding allocation of £154.6m was welcomed; in part this had been as a result of the revision of the RDA funding formula.  
 
Geoff Wilkinson confirmed that Graham Harrison had been appointed as Head of Sector Development. He also encouraged Board members to volunteer for the Regional Marketing Board Sub Group which was to be re-established to steer the regional marketing campaign. 
 
4. THE NEW SWINDON COMPANY (SWINDON URC) 
 
Commercial in Confidence 
 
5. DIVERSITY AND EQUALITIES STRATEGY  
 
Nick Lewis outlined that, following comments received at the January Board meeting, the Strategy had been revised.  
 
The Board suggested some minor changes to the text and that the section on the migration of workers should be strengthened by the inclusion of statistics and other evidence. It was agreed that Nick Lewis would revise the document and would clear the section concerned with Christine Reid and Nigel Costley.  
 
It was noted that the Agency could have some input on the migrant workers issue in some sectors, eg food and drink, and it was agreed that information on this would be included in a paper on Rural issues due to be tabled at the May Board meeting. 
 
In response to a query about Board diversity it was explained that each RDA had been asked by DTi to develop a Board diversity strategy. The Agency, in collaboration with GOSW, had done this and was on the point of forwarding the document to DTi. It was agreed that this would be added to the Equalities and Diversity Strategy as an Annex.  
 
Board decision 
 
The Board endorsed the Equalities and Diversity Strategy, subject to the changes outlined above. 
 
6. SOUTH WEST MANUFACTURING ADVISORY SERVICE  
 
Stephen Peacock explained that the paper was requesting funding to extend a successful programme that had been running since 2002.  
 
Board decision 
 
The Board approved investment of £2.85m to continue the core Lean programme, taking the total RDA commitment to SW-MAS (including the SMP programme) to £3.9m.  
 
7. SIRE (SUSTAINING INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH EXCELLENCE) 
 
Commercial in confidence 
 
8. BUDGET 2005/6 
 
Nick Lewis reported that the budget included £14.8m for Business Links, of which £4.89m was for Devon and Cornwall Business Link, due to come to the Agency as a transfer of undertakings. It was agreed that any senior posts created during the year as a result of re-shaping would be reported to the Board in the Chief Executive's Report 
 
Board decision 
 
The Board approved the 2005/6 budget 
 
9. SW RDA CORPORATE PLAN 2005-8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND COMMUNICATIONS DOCUMENTS 
 
Suzanne Bond reported that the Corporate Plan had received a good response from departments. An Executive Summary had been prepared for, and submitted to, the DTi and work was proceeding on a four page overview summary as a communications document. The first draft of this should be available in May and would be circulated to the Board sub Group.  
 
Board decision 
 
The Board noted the proposal to produce a SW RDA Corporate Plan communications document. 
 
10. BRISTOL ARENA 
 
Commercial in confidence 
 
11. DECEMBER 2004 ACCOUNTS  
 
Nick Lewis updated the Board on current expenditure. As part of the restriction of the ITNET contract to core activities, £113,000 was to be paid direct to Ramco on completion of the development of the Business Intelligence Reporting Tool. The Agency had yet to decide whether it would proceed with implementation as part of the options exercise previously reported through the Audit Committee. Following a question on project expenditure, it was agreed that Nick Lewis would outline changes from original project expenditure to current project expenditure in his report.  
 
Board decision 
 
The Board noted the Accounts 
 
12. SW RDA BOARD ADVISORY GROUPS' WORKPLANS 
 
Nick Buckland (as Chair of the Infrastructure Advisory Group) outlined the current workplan for the group.  
 
Judith Reynolds (Chair, Partnership South West) reported that the group's workplan attempted to tie in to key themes and dates of RDA activity, and also strongly encouraged information sharing between members of the group. 
 
13. STANDING ITEMS 
 
a. Projects Approved 
Noted.  
 
b. Policy Consultation Reponses 
Noted. 
 
c. Summary of Board Advisory Group minutes 
Noted.  
 
d. Decisions taken using Urgency Procedures 
None. 
 
e. Documents Sealed 
Noted. 
 
f. Loan Write Offs 
None. 
 
g. Audit Committee minutes 
Noted. 
 
h. Remuneration Committee minutes 
None.