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08 July 2010
Advantage West Midlands chairman Sir Roy McNulty has defended the regional development agency's record and said local government secretary Eric Pickles was wrong to describe it as bloated. "In terms of overheads this is not, as Mr Pickles has been heard to say, a bloated organisation.
It is very lean, particularly by public sector standards," he said. "We are keen to make sure it is understood that this RDA has an excellent record.
Quite a number of recent surveys have put this agency at the top of the pile.
The economic return has grown to £8.14 {for every £1 invested}, which is an extraordinary achievement for a public body." Speaking to Insider yesterday, McNulty described the decision to abolish RDAs as "political". "It is a political decision without a doubt.
I personally think that government jumps too fast and too often to pull things up by the roots," he said.
On the future of AWM supported organisations such as the regional Business Link, McNulty said no news had yet come through.
McNulty's comments came on the day AWM announced "difficult discussions" were currently taking place with partners as the agency reviews its portfolio of 600 projects in order to make savings of around £40m this financial year.
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