Whitehall departments need convincing of the value of multi-area agreements, despite apparent ministerial support for them according to one of the MAA directors. Speaking at an MJ/NSA conference on the sub-regional agenda, Stuart Jarvis, managing director of one of the MAA pioneers, the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire, said: ‘There has been a patchy sign-up to MAAs across Whitehall. The bottom line is that unless MAAs help government departments deliver their public service agreements we'll face an uphill battle.'
