Plugging the accountability gap? Evaluating the effectiveness of regional scrutiny

The UK government contends that regional assemblies can assist in reducing the democratic deficit in the English regions. This paper presents a preliminary assessment of the new scrutiny role performed by the assemblies. Our conceptual framework identifies five variables which might influence the effectiveness of regional scrutiny. Regional scrutiny is found to be quite distinct from that conducted by parliament, local government, and other devolved institutions. Analysis of qualitative data suggests that regional scrutiny has been limited by a lack of clearly defined powers, inadequate technical support, and an often ‘cosy’ relationship between assemblies and their Regional Development Agencies. We conclude that regional assemblies urgently require appropriate legitimacy, powers, and resources in order to prevent the accountability gap from widening. <absctd>