Mr. Ian Dempsey:

If we take Leader as an example - because there is a process there to judge it - it did not achieve the required outcome. If one has a competitive process that only operates in four of the 28 areas, that is a point worth reflecting on. What happened in that process - and perhaps it is unique to our own area - is that it pitted local authorities against local development companies in some way. That may not be the experience everywhere, but I can say that it leads to poor outcomes. The local authority and local development companies should be in lockstep and in partnership to deliver in respect of the issues. There are parts of rural development that local development companies cannot reach in because of their limited remit. On issues of planning, and spatial development one needs the interface between local development companies and local authorities.