The Independent and e-politix.com tell of a report from the Commons trade and industry committee on UK Trade and Investment (or UKTI). The fascinating part of this report, though, is its take on the Regional Development Agencies (of which Yorkshire Forward is one.)

It turns out the RDAs have all been setting up permanent trade promotion offices abroad - 42 in total, spread across the US, Japan and Australia. The committee sees this as a 'bizarre' duplication of effort, confusing potential investors. They think the job of trade promotion for the UK should be done by UKTI alone. A member of the committee said:

There is confusion about who is actually responsible for trade promotion, and an extraordinary situation when it comes to offices abroad, which are competing with each other, confusing investors and wasting taxpayers' money.

Its a lovely little window onto the peculiar nature of the UK's 'market state'. A previous post on epolitix told how the Institute of Directors thought the RDAs were doing too little to make themselves relevant to businesses in their areas. Now the poor sods are getting berated for going all the way overseas to help bring business in.

The obvious response to the committee's complaints is, well, what did you expect? Every region and city has been encouraged to promote this notion that they can be 'world class'. The point, surely, is competition, isn't it? Why should any RDA expect that a national body is going to promote their interests - especially when that body is London-based? And how is it a 'bizarre' duplication of effort? Could the same be said for all these pesky supermarkets we have, confusing the poor consumer? If not, why not? Because its tax-payer's money? Well, that doesn't make any difference, does it? Market efficiency is market efficiency, ain't it? Choice! Choicity-woicity-woicity CHOICE!