Shadow communities secretary, Caroline Spelman, has denied being ‘equivocal' over Conservative plans to abolish regional development agencies. Ms Spelman told the CCN conference that ‘regional government will go', but then added, ‘we will streamline [RDAs] remit to focus exclusively on economic development'. She said they would be accountable to councils which would also take over their housing and planning functions. But a county delegate later asked: ‘Shadow local government minister, Bob Neill, recently stated unequivocally that he would abolish RDAs. You have not been so unequivocal.' Ms Spelman replied: ‘The reason why Bob said they'd be abolished is because there will be nothing left called RDAs. They won't exist in the present form or name. ‘Local authorities will form economic partnerships. And if, for example, here in the North East, they want to keep the partnership on a regional basis, then they can.'